


Primal Desires

by hayles3108



Category: Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: F/M, romitri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2020-09-23 07:10:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 38
Words: 97,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20336146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hayles3108/pseuds/hayles3108
Summary: Dimitri is still caught up on how he treated Rose as a Strigoi, hating himself for what he did. When he starts receiving letters from Nathan, detailing exactly all the disgusting, cruel things he wishes he had done to Rose himself, Dimitri is angry. Can Dimitri forgive himself in order to protect Rose from Nathan's primal desires? Trigger Warning - sexual abuse. I don't own VA.





	1. Chapter 1

###  Chapter One 

**Dimitri’s POV**

_Blood oozed down my body. I didn’t realise how much I had missed after my feeding frenzy. _

_“What a waste,” I uttered, as I stood in the cool water of the shower. I had been out in the streets of Novosibirsk where I had found two young ladies as drunk as can be, making their way home after a night of care-free drinking. I followed them before making my move, dragging them into a dark, lonely alley and snatching their lives from them. They hadn’t seen it coming. _

_After I showered, I made my way to Rose’s room, knowing she’d be waiting for me eagerly. I was disappointed when I reached her – she was already asleep. I growled, angry at her for not waiting up for my return. _

_I made my way to the bed and sat myself down next to her unconscious form. Old me probably would had relished in the thought of being so close to her when she was at her most vulnerable. He would have thought she was beautiful and would have cuddled up next to her, protecting her as she slept. Pathetic. _

_I looked down at the woman sleeping next to me. She looked do fragile and unaware. I relished in that. I could do so many things to her and she wouldn’t be able to stop me. She deserved it. She wouldn’t join me, she wouldn’t turn. Pathetic. _

_I shifted my body next to her, allowing me better access for what I was about to do. My hands began exploring her body as she slept, moving gradually towards the one place I had avoided so far. If only she had seen how useful she could be to me. Now it was too late. I had waited so long and my primal desires were becoming too much. If she wouldn’t give it to me willingly, I would have to take it from her. My hands reached the lace covering her modesty and my fingers curled around the band eagerly. _

_Enough. I couldn’t take it any longer. I ripped her underwear off and spread her legs apart with such a fury it was enough to wake her up. I used all of my bodyweight to trap her as I exposed myself. She looked up at me from the bed with such an intense look of fear in her eyes. It turned me on more. My dick twitched in anticipation, spurred on by the panic she was emitting. _

_“Dimitri, please, what are you doing?” she tried everything she could to get out of the grasp I had on her. “HELP!” she screamed. I slapped her hard across her face to shut her up. _

_“I’ve had enough Rose. I’m finishing this.” I growled deeply as I approached her entrance. _

My eyes snapped open. My forehead was drenched in sweat, causing my dark hair to stick to it like glue. I was out of breath and panting. What had just happened? I furrowed my eyebrows. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep so early. 

I had another dream. 

“What happened in the dream didn’t really happen.” I told myself. _But it so easily could have… _

I sat up and took in my surroundings. I was on our sofa in the middle of our living room, an area I had become accustomed to in the last couple of nights. I looked around the room, the sun had already begun to rise and the light shone through the windows. It was still early; the vampiric night hadn’t fully begun. I reached across and grabbed my watch from the coffee table - 8:15 am. Rose would be back from her shift soon. 

I sighed and got up from the sofa. My throat was dry from my unexpected sleep and I needed some water to quench my thirst. I headed towards the kitchen and grabbed a drink before returning to the sofa. I sat and tried to think of anything besides my dream, but it was proving difficult. 

“It didn’t happen” I told myself again. “I didn’t hurt her like that.” _You were going to though… _

I clenched my fists, angry at myself that I could have ever treated her that way. She was my Roza, my love. 

I heard keys jangling outside the door and I knew it was Rose coming back from her shift. She stepped through the door and I marvelled in her beauty. Even after a long day of work she was still gorgeous. I turned away. How could I have treated someone like her so badly? 

“Hey Dimitri I missed you today” she began as she entered the apartment. “You would not believe my day. Lissa –” She stopped when she realised where I was and that I was avoiding her gaze. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine” I managed to say. 

“Are you sure? You’re on the sofa again. I thought you’d be in bed.” 

I didn’t say anything, still avoiding looking at her. I heard her sigh. 

“You’re not coming to bed again tonight are you, Comrade?” She asked as she walked over to me. She stopped in front of me and reached out, pushing a strand of my hair back behind my ear. I adored her touch, but I couldn’t help but recoil slightly – I didn’t deserve to be touched by her. 

Since the nightmares had started, I had been spending the last couple of nights on our sofa in the living room. The nightmares brought back so many memories of the times I spent so long trying to forget. I could just about live with the faces of the innocent people I had killed haunting my dreams - I hated it, but I could live with it - but dreaming of Roza killed me. It killed me to remember the pain I put her through and I just couldn’t bring myself to be around her much, let alone share a bed with her. 

Rose noticed my recoil and sighed. “Again, Dimitri? When is this going to stop?” 

I didn’t answer. I didn’t have the answer to her question and I couldn’t lie to her or give her false promises. 

She all but stomped as she retreated into the bedroom, returning two minutes later with a photo in her hand. “Look at this. What is this, Dimitri?” 

I focused my eyes on the object in her hands. It was a photo Janine had taken on the day of Vasilisa’s coronation. I had my arms wrapped around Rose’s waist as she looked up at me with her breathtakingly beautiful smile. Her eyes bore in to mine with such devotion as I looked down at her with a similar expression on my face. I had never seen myself look so happy. 

“It’s us” I stated. 

“And look how happy we are! Why, why has this changed? Tell me what I have done!”

I was gobsmacked. What _she_ had done? No, no. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She could never. 

“Please, Dimitri. What did I do?” 

“Roza, you didn’t do anything. I can promise you that much.”

“Then why do you look at me now as though you hate me? Why don’t you look at me like this anymore?” She asked as she shook the photo of us in my face again. Her voice was laced with hurt. 

I stood up from the sofa and took a step back from her. “I don’t hate you, Roza. I –” I sighed, “I hate myself.” 

She didn’t know what to say, I could tell. There were few times when Rose was speechless, it was a rare moment, but this was one of them. I took the opportunity to continue. 

“I’ve been remembering things. Remembering all the people I stole lives from. Worst of all I’ve been remembering you.” 

She still didn’t reply to me. 

“I can’t believe I had it in me to do that to you, Roza. I loved you with all I had and I still hurt you.”

I could feel the hatred of myself and my anger bubbling inside me. I was going to snap before long. 

“I treated you like dirt. I didn’t see you as My Roza. You were a thing. A thing I could manipulate and abuse. I made you suffer”. 

“Dimitri, I –” She began before I cut her off. 

“I treated you as though you were some glorified sex toy! You didn’t deserve that! I held you prisoner in that place for my own disgusting benefits!” I yelled, willing her to see that I just didn’t deserve her after what I did. 

“Dimitri, enough! I’ve told you time and time again that I forgive you!” Tears began to roll down her soft cheeks as she pleaded. 

My stomach ached and a lump formed in my throat – I was hurting her again. Why couldn’t she see that I just wasn’t good for her?  
Rose had told me so many times that she forgave me and yet I had hurt her so badly there must surely be some part of her that still saw me as an abuser. I kidnapped her, beat her, fed from her and damn near raped her. I couldn’t understand how she could forgive me for that. 

Rose shook her head. “I thought we were past this. You forgave yourself.” 

“I tried, Rose, I’m still trying.” I turned away from her and collapsed down onto the sofa, allowing my head to fall in my hands. In the darkness of my mind, I saw her silently begging for my mouth to collide with her neck, stealing from her what she needed to live. I saw her obey my every word, wearing next to nothing and pleading with me to make love to her. I saw a monster take advantage of her wanton-like state, wanting to hurt her physically in more ways than one. That monster was me. 

“I remember it all so clearly, Roza.” I barely whispered. “I remember exactly what I wanted to do to you.” 

I still had my head in my hands - I couldn’t look at her. I didn’t deserve to be in her presence, let alone allow myself to look at her beauty. Rose sighed and I heard footsteps as she moved closer before stopping in front of me. 

“It doesn’t matter, Dimitri. I –”

I snapped. I shot out of my seat so fast I’m surprised I didn’t knock her over. “I was going to rape you, Rose!!!” 

My body shook with anger. Anger towards Rose for not realising the severity of what could have happened. Anger towards myself for almost letting that happen. And anger at myself now for losing control. Damn it Dimitri, if she wasn’t scared of you before she sure as hell would be now. 

Through gritted teeth I explained. “I didn’t care about you. All I cared about was my own needs. I remember looking at you in those disgusting, sleazy outfits. I remember it took all of my will power not to force myself on you and take what my body ached for. I wanted to hurt you over and over again and abuse you for my own selfish desires. How can you be with someone like that?”

I stared into her gaze, finally letting the stinging behind my eyes win, and the tears began to spill over. How could I have wanted to do such terrible things to someone so pure, so beautiful? 

I expected Rose to react. I thought she would finally realise what a monster I was and she would leave. Instead, her hand reached out towards my face, wiping away the water droplets with the palm of her soft hands. 

“I forgive you.” I closed my eyes and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. I buried my face in the top of her head, my cheek leaning against her soft, brown hair. 

I love her. 

I hated myself for what I had done to her, but I loved her with everything that I had. She deserved the world and I couldn’t give that to her. I really had meant it when I said I would try to see past the weeks of torture I had put her through, but every time I looked at her all I saw was her pain. I couldn’t live with that. 

I pulled back from our embrace, taking a step back to increase the distance between us. She looked up and met my gaze with such adoration. It killed me.

“It wasn’t you,” she whispered. “That monster wasn’t you. He isn’t in control now. I forgive you.” 

I sighed and shook my head. “I’m sorry Roza. You shouldn’t be with me. It was a mistake to lead you into false hope that we could work. You should have stayed with Adrian; I know he could have treated you better than I am right now.” 

The look in Rose’s eyes changed from love, to hurt, to anger. 

“I can’t believe you would say that.” 

With that, she turned swiftly on her heels and strode towards the front door of our apartment. She didn’t look back as she opened the door, but stopped briefly to say, “It wasn’t a mistake, Dimitri.” She sighed, shook her head and then left. 

The door slammed behind her.

######  Author's Note 

######  Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I am currently working on chapter two so hopefully that will be up soon! Please leave a review - I welcome all feedback and would love opinions! This story is also over on my fanfiction.net account if you prefer to read it over there. My username is hayles3108.


	2. Chapter 2

**Rose's POV**

I was furious. Rage coursed through my veins as I tore through the centre of court towards god-knows where.

How could he say that to me? How could Dimitri possibly believe our love was a mistake? I gave him my heart and he threw it back in my face, reducing it from a love so intense to something worthless. How dare he?

I knew he was hurting and I understood, I really did, but when he refuses to touch me or share a bed with me it hurts me too. He says he's frightened of hurting me again, angry at himself for what he did… but it wasn't him! Why couldn't he see that? After the ordeal with Tasha, where I all but died and came back to life, Dimitri told me he forgave himself. Why then is he acting like this now? I thought we were past this.

I heard myself growl as I walked. "What a dick."

I had never been this angry before. I always tried to keep in control of myself but I was reaching breaking point. I didn't know how much longer I could keep holding on to something that Dimitri was constantly trying to push away.

After minutes of walking without any sense of direction, all the while my mind spiralling out of control, I realised I had no idea where to go. I couldn't go back home, not while Dimitri was acting the way he was. I was afraid I might say something I would regret.

Goosebumps began to appear on my skin - my body was cold despite the sun shining down on me and the anger boiling inside me. I tugged at the sleeves of my jacket, trying to cover my hands further. When this didn't work, I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my shoulders to provide some comfort and protection from the chill. Where could I go? Lissa was far out of the question –Christian had appeared at her apartment just as I was leaving after my shift. I knew without a doubt they were getting busy so I couldn't interrupt them. Well, I could but I would never hear the end of it.

_You should have stayed with Adrian…_

Dimitri's words echoed inside my head. How could he say that? The guilt I felt for hurting Adrian ate me up daily and he knew it. His words were like a dagger in my heart, twisting until he ripped it out completely.

_It was a mistake…_

I knew then where I could go. Despite the pain I caused Adrian in the past, we had been able to work through it, and we were finally in a place where things were relatively normal for us. I knew I could always count on him to be there for me. With that, my legs took off once again, this time with a purpose as I headed towards Adrian's house.

He seemed surprised to see me pounding on his door at such a late hour, but pleased nonetheless. He didn't question my presence, instead opening the front door without hesitation and offering his home to me.

I stormed into the living room and slumped down onto the sofa, grabbing one of the cushions and screaming into it to ease my frustrations. It didn't work.

"I was going to ask if you were okay but I guess that already answers my question." Adrian stated with a smirk, leaning arms crossed against the door frame as he stared at my outburst.

"Shut up" I glared, discarding the cushion and leaning back into the sofa. I sighed heavily. "I need a drink."

"Ah, so that's why you came to see me is it?" he questioned. "Hmm, I could do with a drink, I wonder who I should go and see? I know! Adrian of course, he's the answer to all of my problems!" His voice was laced with sarcasm, which I did not appreciate.

I glared in his direction. "Can I have one or not?"

He smirked at me before he retreated away from his position in the doorway. I realised that alcohol was not the answer to my problems but I was just _so_ angry. I needed something, _anything _to take my mind off of Dimitri's words. And if that meant drinking with Adrian, then so be it.

Adrian returned a few minutes later with two glasses and a bottle in his hands. He passed one to me before sitting in the chair opposite. I immediately downed my drink, before pouring myself another, ignoring the burning sensation in the back of my neck as the alcohol oozed down my throat.

"Wow" Adrian uttered as he nursed his own drink. "I guess we're drinking our troubles away today then."

I ignored him, downing my drink once more. My throat burned but I didn't care, I welcomed the pain if it meant forgetting the argument. I reached for the bottle again to pour myself a third glass.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong or are you just going to drink yourself into a coma?"

Looking at the ground, I just mumbled "Dimitri", before making a start on my drink again – this time sipping rather than downing it all in one go.

"Ah" was all Adrian said. "Go on." I felt like I was at a therapist's office. Although I'm not sure that their solution to their patient's problems was alcohol.

"I mean, it's just so frustrating!" Getting up from the sofa I began pacing around the room, ignoring the already growing ache and dizziness in my head.

I hoped Adrian was in the mood to listen because I was about to chew his ear off.

* * *

**Dimitri's POV.**

It had been two hours since Rose had stormed out after our argument and I was beginning to get worried. This wasn't like her. Even if we argued she never stormed out, she always stayed and tried to fix things no matter how angry she was. I really must have blown it this time.

I began searching for my phone, dialling her number as soon as I found it. I swore to myself as I heard Rose's phone ringing from the countertop where she had set it down earlier. She had left it here and I had no other way of contacting her.

I paced the apartment, even angrier at myself than I was earlier. I grabbed my phone again, hoping that maybe Rose had gone back to Vasilisa's, and maybe she was safe there. The phone rang and rang before going to voicemail. Why wasn't she answering? I tried two more times, before she finally picked up.

"Dimitri what is it? I'm kind of busy right now" I heard Christian chuckle in the background and Vasilisa told him to be quiet. Shit. I'd interrupted them.

"I'm so sorry, your highness. It doesn't matter, I'll leave you to it" I said awkwardly.

"It's Lissa, you know that Dimitri, none of that 'your highness' crap", she stated. "Anyway it must be important otherwise you wouldn't have phoned me three times."

"Have you seen Rose?" I asked, before explaining what happened between us. "…and then she stormed out and now I'm worried because she hasn't come home. She hasn't stopped by yours at all has she?"

"No. Like I said, I'm a bit busy right now" Christian chuckled again in the background. "Listen Dimitri, she's just upset. She'll come home soon, stop worrying," she not so helpfully advised before hanging up.

I sank down onto the sofa in frustration.

I longed for Rose to come home. I regretted my words as soon as I saw the hurt across her face at the mention of Adrian. How could I have been so stupid?

"Блядь" I swore to myself and leaned back, deciding to wait for Rose to get back.

I didn't have to wait for long as not five minutes later I heard knocking on the front door. I guess Rose forgot her keys as well as her phone when she left. Moving quickly to the door, I swung it open ready to apologise for what I had said, but stopped in my tracks when I saw a concerned Adrian trying to hold up a swaying Rose in his arms.

"She's your problem now, mate" Adrian smirked, attempting to pass her to me. I reached out and caught her as she fell in my direction, giggling to herself.

"I'm not a problem", she chuckled.

Adrian laughed. "Yeah, good one, nice joke", he said sarcastically.

I led Rose to the sofa and sat her down. She immediately sunk back into it and I turned around to face Adrian. "What happened?"

He shrugged. "She just turned up at my door wanting a drink. She was upset and needed to vent. I didn't realise quite how much she had drunk until she puked in my plant pot." He shook his head. "I liked that plant."

I didn't have time to be mad at him because he immediately excused himself and headed for the door. He stopped and looked at me before leaving. "Get your shit together Belikov. She's hurting", he stated before closing the door behind him. I stared after him, knowing his words held truth.

The sound of the door startled Rose and she sat up quickly. "Woah when did I get home?" She asked more to herself than me, as she twisted and turned her head in confusion.

"Adrian brought you home about 5 minutes ago" I explained matter-of-factly as I moved to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

"Adrian?" she tilted her head to the side, "Oh h-hey Adrian, I didn't see you there – you, you look different." She reached out towards me, grabbing my hair and furrowing her eyebrows. "Your hair's longer. Sexier."

"Rose I'm not Adrian, I'm Dimitri" I shook my head. I was torn between being completely mad at her for allowing herself to get into this state, and laughing at just how ridiculous she was when she was drunk. I decided now was not the time to start another argument. "Do you need anything? A glass of water?"

"Uhhhh, I'm not sure. Let me think. Hmmm…" She brought her hands up to the side of her head, evidently thinking hard. Her head snapped up and she looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes. "What was the question again?"

Sighing, I shook my head for what seemed like the hundredth time this evening, before patting her on the shoulder and heading to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water for her anyway. My Roza. What a state to get into.

When I had gotten back to the living room, Rose was lying on her back on the sofa with her arms covering her eyes. "Head hurts" she muttered.

I placed the glass of water down on the coffee table before reaching behind her to grab the blanket I had left on the sofa from when I had been sleeping there. I laid the soft material over her gently, before I found myself reaching out to tuck an escaped strand of hair behind her ear. I hesitated, but did it anyway.

"Thank you, Comrade" I heard her mumble.

I told her she was welcome before standing up straight and sighing to myself.

"I guess I am sleeping in our bed tonight."

* * *

**If you read this please leave a review and let me know what you think so far? I have lots of ideas for this story and I'm excited to get further into it so please let me know your opinions!**

**It's currently raining here and I adore it, I always feel so cosy. What's one of your favourite things to do on a rainy day?**

**This story is also over on fanfiction.net. My username is hayles3108. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Dimitri's POV**

After tossing and turning all night, I finally managed to fall asleep. It felt weird to be sleeping in our bed again after the numerous consecutive nights of sleeping on the sofa. And to make matters worse, the little amount of sleep I did manage was filled – unsurprisingly – with images of the things I wanted to forget. I was beginning to become seriously frustrated. It was true that I had made good progress since I was rescued from that monstrous state, especially with everything that happened while Rose and I were on the run, and with what happened after. So it was frustrating to me that all my progress seemed to be being thrown out the window. I know I hadn't been in control when I committed all those sins, I _know_ it hadn't been the man I am now. But every time I looked at Rose I couldn't help but feel guilty at what I had made her suffer through.

The next morning when I woke up from my broken sleep, I went to check on Rose before getting ready for the day. Unsurprisingly, she was still sleeping softly on our sofa. Luckily, it was a day off work for the both of us so she'd be able to sleep off her inevitable hangover. I stood staring at her for a moment, captivated by her beauty like I so often was. Even when sleeping and probably feeling rough as all hell after last night's antics, she was still breath-taking. Her thick, dark hair had fallen in front of her face slightly, but I could still see her long eyelashes resting on her olive-skinned cheeks as she slept. She was mesmerising. I could not believe how lucky I was to have someone as perfect as her in my life. And yet, I was throwing it all away because of my own selfish hold up.

Adrian's final words to me last night were still echoing inside my head. _"Get your shit together Belikov. She's hurting."_

I knew Adrian still held some resentment towards me for taking Rose away from him. He loved her, and in the end she has chosen me. I knew that, ultimately, he just wanted her to be happy even if it meant he couldn't be with her. And right now he could tell she wasn't happy, which meant he wasn't happy either. Everyone around me seemed to be becoming more and more miserable with me in their lives. I just seemed to exude misery and pain.

Sighing and turning away from the angel sleeping in front of me, I headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day ahead of me. I had no real plans anymore – Rose and I usually spent the day together when we both didn't have to work, but I guess that wasn't an option after our argument, and seeing as now Rose was still passed out on the sofa. She probably would be for the rest of the day due to how drunk she was last night.

"_Get your shit together Belikov. She's hurting."_

Just like Adrian, I wanted more than anything for Rose to be happy. But could she really find that happiness with someone like me? Would she finally realise later on down the line that what I had done to her was unforgivable, and then resent me for what I had put her through?

After I had showered and brushed my teeth, I made my way back to the bedroom to get dressed, stealing a look towards Rose as I passed - she was still sleeping. I decided I would head over to the court gyms and work out for a bit to clear my head and try and think about what I could do to make things better for Rose. I quickly wrote a note to tell Rose where I was in case she woke up while I was out and left, shutting the door behind me quietly. Would she even care where I was? Would she still be upset with me after what I had said to her?

"_She's hurting."_

Yes, she probably, no _definitely_, would be mad.

* * *

After running laps around the field adjacent to the gym, I headed inside to carry out some weight training before practising some moves with the punching bags. It felt good to clear my mind for a little while and focus on my exercising. The adrenaline rush I felt when training always made me feel better when something was bothering me. Unfortunately, it didn't help me to find a solution for my problems with Rose.

A few hours passed and I decided I should probably head back home. I knew I needed to apologise for what I said to Rose. I knew my words had hurt her, (_as usual), _and I really didn't mean for that to happen intentionally. I was just trying to explain to her why I couldn't bear to share a bed with her or bring myself to touch her. I simply didn't deserve that privilege.

Wanting to make a head start on my apology, I decided to swing by and pick up some coffee, knowing that would score me major sorry points with Rose.

I ordered the drinks and waited in line to grab mine and Rose's coffees. I attempted to tune out the chatter around me, pretending to be more interested in a mysterious mark on the floor than the rest of the customers in the shop. However, it was proving difficult as two Dhampirs I didn't know began talking unnecessarily loudly at a table nearby. And their conversation wasn't exactly subtle.

"So I was talking to Stone last night after he finished his shift. He saw something pretty interesting yesterday…" I didn't know who this man was but he sounded like a teenage girl in high school, ready to spread some new, juicy gossip to all her friends.

"Hmm?" The other man questioned, seemingly showing more interest in his hands than the conversation he was supposedly involved in.

"Yup," the first man replied, popping the 'p', "that guardian, Hathaway what's-her-face."

That got my attention. I inched closer to their table slightly so I could hear with more ease, still pretending to be fascinated by the ground beneath my feet. Either they hadn't seen me come in or they _had_ seen me and were just being stupid enough to talk about my girlfriend right in front of my face.

"That's not exactly interesting. She lives here so of course he'd see her around."

The first man was exasperated at his friend's lack of interest in his gossip. "Yes but it's _where _he saw her! She was heading towards Ivashkov's place. And then later when he saw them again, Ivashkov had his hands all over her. He said she was obviously drunk, but she looked much happier coming out of his house than she did when he saw her go in."

His friend suddenly became much more interested in the conversation. I, however, could feel myself becoming increasingly angrier by the minute. "You think she cheated on Belikov?"

"Wouldn't surprise me if she had. We all know how much of a slut she is. If you ask me, I bet she was only with Ivashkov for the benefits, if you catch my drift," he chuckled. My hands balled into fists and my jaw clenched. How dare he talk about Rose that way? He didn't even _know _her. I took a breath. I needed to keep in control of myself – the middle of the coffee shop was _not _the right place to pick a fight. Besides, this man's story held no truth. Rose was only out last night because _I_ had managed to upset her, not because she wanted to sleep with Adrian.

"What do you mean?" the second man asked, snapping me out of my internal struggle.

"Well everyone knows Belikov turned her into a little Bloodwhore when he was Strigoi. I'll bet you anything he fucked her and drank from her when he did it. And you know what? I'll bet you double that she enjoyed it. She probably begged for it!"

I was seething now. Yes, I had hurt Rose. Yes, what I did to her was unforgivable. But did this stranger have any right to discuss mine and Rose's business? No! In the middle of a packed coffee house might I add! I felt my blood boil and my hands balled tighter. _Calm down, Dimitri, this is not the place._

"Mate that's a bit much, don't you think?"

_You should listen to your friend - don't say something you'll regret…_

"What? It's true! And that's probably why she slept with Ivashkov last night – because Belikov can't feed from her now that he's a Dhampir again, but you know who can? Ivashkov. And we all know he's still pining for her so how could he refuse? Hell, even I wouldn't refuse if it meant I could get my hands on her."

That was it – I snapped. I was over at his table in a flash, pulling him up by his collar and glaring down at him with a rage so intense it scared even me.

His eyes bugged out of his head when he realised who I was and that I had just heard his entire conversation.

"Belikov! I, I –"

My growl cut off whatever he was about to say and I dragged him by the collar out of the coffee shop, where I proceeded to push him away from me. Stumbling away, he managed to balance himself before falling flat on his face. The initial reaction on his face screamed fear, but he quickly masked this with a false confidence.

"You heard all that huh? What are you going to do? Beat me up like you did Hathaway?"

Another low growl escaped my lips as I took a step closer to him.

"Or do you only do that to the women? That way you can _fuck_ them before you abuse them." He seemed pleased with his torment, but I was understandably pissed off.

"Or do you like to abuse them _while_ you fuck them?" He sneered. "Is _that_ your thing?"

The little amount of self-control I had managed to retain disappeared in an instant, and I lunged for him. By now, the bystanders in and around the coffee house had filtered out to see what the commotion was all about. I didn't care.

I tackled him to the ground, using my body weight to push him further into the concrete. My fists met his face over and over again and blood began gushing out of his nose. For a guardian, his reactions were really quite slow, and I managed to land numerous hits on him before he began fighting back.

He pushed my body off him and scrambled to his feet before punching me squarely in the jaw. I'm not going to lie, it hurt. But I didn't care – I was seeing red. My rage had built up inside me and this was the way my body had responded. The anger and hatred I felt towards myself for what I did to Rose was being translated into my fury towards what this no-good thug had said about our relationship. I might deserve the horrible things he said, but Roza definitely did not.

He landed a couple more hits on me before I found an opportunity to turn on him again. Darting forward, I found my left hand wrapping itself tightly around his neck as my right hand knocked him harshly on the side of his face.

"Dimitri what the hell are you doing?!" A booming voice snapped me out of my fiery trance.

I blinked, as if I had been having an out of body experience and was finally coming back into my own mind. I released the bloodied man from my hold and he fell to the floor before shuffling away from me, justifiably terrified. What had I done? Why had no one stopped me?

I looked down at him, shocked at how much damage I had inflicted. This wasn't me; this wasn't who I had striven to be. Inspecting my hands, there was no doubt they would come up bruised soon. They were covered in blood – whether it was my own or the other man's, I was unsure.

A bright purple shirt came into my vision and I looked down at the man in front of me. His bearded face was plastered with concern as he grabbed me by the shoulders.

"I'll ask you again, what the hell are you doing, son?"

Abe Mazur. Rose's father.

"I uh, I –" I struggled to find my words, visibly shaken.

Unwilling to wait for my explanation, he shook his head and ordered me to wait for him 'over there', pointing to a bench a little ways down the road.

As I walked away, I heard him address the audience that had gathered. "None of this happened. You hear me? I am a _very_ powerful man and I can assure you that if anyone speaks of this, they will regret it."

Abe's reputation preceded him. No one said a word as they scuttled back inside the coffee shop, afraid of what might happen to them if they spoke of this incident. Like he said, Zmey held _a lot_ of influence.

I reached the bench that Abe had pointed to and looked back towards him. He was now speaking to the man that had bad-mouthed Rose. I had to strain my ears to try and hear their conversation. "…you hear me? I don't care whatever story you tell but this was not Belikov. If I hear that you blame him for this you will end up in far more pain than you are right now."

The man nodded and scurried away round the corner. Abe watched as he ran away, seemingly amused by how frightened he was, before walking in my direction. When he reached the bench, he sat down next to me.

"Talk."

I stared at the ground as he glared at me. When I was able to find my voice I explained what had happened, why I was so angry and lost control. Understandably, he too was infuriated by what the Dhampir had said about his daughter.

"He's lucky I didn't hear that. If I'd have been there, there's no way he'd have lived through the night," he said through gritted teeth.

I nodded.

"I understand why you did it, son. But you can't lose control like that. Not anymore. Not since –"

"I know."

"It's not that people still think you're Strigoi, it's just… I know some people are still afraid of you. And being violent is definitely not going to help suppress their fears."

"I know."

Sighing, I looked up at Rose's father.

"Did she ever tell you what happened? When I found her in Russia, I mean?" I questioned. Abe just shook his head.

"What I did… it was unforgivable. It still eats me up inside. I hate what I did to her." I paused. "It's true what that man said. I abused your daughter. I put her through so much and she didn't deserve any of it. I can't get over what I did."

I turned away from him, unwilling to look into his eyes any longer.

"She says she forgives me, but… how? How can she forgive all of that? I was not good to her."

"Because that wasn't you."

I couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "That's what Rose always says."

"That's because it's true. I know you would never hurt my daughter, intentionally or not. Do you think I'd still allow you to be with her if I had any feeling that you were a threat to her?"

That was true. Abe Mazur was not a person you wanted to cross if you valued your life in any way.

"Is that why Rose was out last night? Because you haven't forgiven yourself?"

I nodded.

"You need to forgive yourself –"

"Easier said than done," I interjected.

"Don't interrupt me. Honestly, my daughter is such a bad influence on you." He shook his head. "You need to forgive yourself. I can see how much my Rose loves you. Whatever happened between you two in Russia doesn't even cross her mind, I'm sure of it. Rose may seem brash and antagonistic at times, but deep down she has a big heart. A heart big enough to hold a lot of forgiveness." He stood up ready to walk away, but paused and looked back down at me. "Let what happened go. You and Rose have too much love for each other to just throw it away, so you need to forgive yourself." He coughed, "and uh, if you don't, I will have to have you killed." I saw the sparkle of humour in his eyes, allowing me to see that he wasn't actually serious, before he turned and walked away.

Shortly after, I headed back to mine and Rose's apartment. The short walk didn't allow me much time to think of what I was going to say to Rose if she had woken up by the time I got there, but I had a lot to think about. Abe was a very smart man so I knew his words held truth. He had come to know his daughter very well in such a short time, so if he believed that she had forgiven me for all the pain I caused, then quite possibly she really had.

It just seemed unbelievable. I know I would hate my guts in her position.

When I reached the apartment, I fumbled for my keys to open the door. My hands had begun to ache and were tensing up from the pain caused by the fight. They were still bloodied and bruises were beginning to show underneath. I dreaded to think what my face looked like.

As I opened the door, I prayed to God that Rose was still sleeping so that I had time to wash away the evidence of my earlier brawl.

She wasn't.

"What the hell happened to you?"

* * *

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter three. Hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of an insight into Dimitri's relationship with Abe.**

**As always, please leave a review letting me know what you think of this story and be sure to follow/fave to keep up to date with any updates!**

**This story is also over on fanfiction.net. My username is hayles3108**


	4. Chapter 4

**Rose's POV**

I was definitely _not_ sixteen anymore.

Back then, I could drink three times the amount that I had last night and still wake up fresh as a daisy the next morning. This was not the case today. My head pounded harshly, the ache in my throat felt like sandpaper, and my stomach was filled with nausea.

"Damn it, Rose! When did you get so old?" I asked myself, my eyes still shut from my sleep. Bracing myself, I slowly opened them, blinking a few times to adjust to my surroundings. I found myself on the sofa wrapped in a blanket. The bright moonlight shining through the window told me that it was the middle of the day and my eyes slightly stung from the glare. I really did not know how people on a 'normal' schedule did it – if they went out drinking the night before, they'd wake up to sunlight, and how they managed that with a hangover I had no idea.

Groaning, I slowly sat up, afraid to move too quickly in case my nausea turned in to actual puke. Thinking of throwing up, an image of my drunken self releasing the contents of my gut into one of Adrian's plant pots flashed in my mind. Whoops. I should probably apologise to him.

I was thankful to see that Dimitri had left a glass of water beside me on the coffee table. I definitely needed it – I felt dehydrated and my head felt as though I had received one too many hits in the sparring ring. I downed the water before staggering over to the sink in the kitchen to fill the glass up again. As I drank my second glass, I looked over and noticed a note on the counter top beside my phone.

_Roza,_  
Gone to train.  
D x

Sighing, I grabbed my phone and headed back to the sofa with my water. I was secretly glad Dimitri hadn't been here when I woke up – I knew I looked awful, still in my clothes from yesterday and hair all tangled. I also had no idea of what I would say to him; I was still seething at what he had said to me. I adored the man, but he apparently felt as though our relationship was a mistake. My heart ached remembering our argument.

Looking down at my phone, I noticed that I had a missed call from Dimitri and three from Lissa. Dimitri had probably phoned last night to find out where I had stormed off to, phoning Lissa when he realised I left my phone here. And I bet he told her what happened between us, causing her to phone me as well.

Continuing to scroll through my phone I also saw that Lissa had left me a text:

_Rose, you okay? Dimitri's worried. Xxx_

Bingo! I was right. I knew the two of them like the back of my hand. I quickly replied to her message to let her know I was okay.

_Sorry Liss, just woke up. He's not here. Speak to you later. Xx_

Finishing my water, I decided to take a shower to wash away the smell of alcohol and change out of my day-old clothes. Just as I stood up to head to the bathroom, my phone chimed with a text from Adrian:

_Hope you're okay. You owe me a plant pot._

I chuckled in spite of my guilt and replied straight away.

_Don't think so, it was you who supplied the alcohol - last night was your fault _ _:)_

Placing my phone back down on the table, I finally made it to the bathroom to shower. I undressed and chucked my clothes in the vague direction of the laundry basket - it landed just to the left of it.

"Close enough," I shrugged as I stepped into the cubicle. I let the hot water rush over me, enjoying its warmth before grabbing my strawberry body wash and soaking away the smell of alcohol and sweat. I hadn't had time to shower yesterday before meeting Lissa, and so I welcomed the strong fruity smell. I definitely needed it.

After I washed, I stood there beneath the water for a moment, contemplating what to do about Dimitri. How did we get into this place? I thought that we were way past dwelling on his Strigoi days and yet here we were, sleeping in separate rooms and blowing up in each other's faces. This was so unlike us. I really had meant it when I told him I forgave him and I longed for him to forgive himself too. What happened in Russia doesn't have to break us. We shouldn't let what he did back then have any kind of hold over us, otherwise we'd never make it. I loved Dimitri more than anything – it was as if our souls had become one and I couldn't bear for us to be apart. I wished that I could make him understand that.

Taking a deep breath I shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around myself to dry off. I made my way across the living room and towards the bedroom to get dressed. The apartment was still empty - Dimitri hadn't come back yet. I didn't know when he'd left, but it seemed an awful long time to be training. I wondered what the holdup was.

Although my headache and nausea had begun to clear, I still didn't feel up to going out anywhere today so I grabbed a simple pair of lounge shorts and a tank top, skipping the bra and allowing myself to be free. Once dressed, I made my way back to the living room and turned on the television. Nothing interesting was on, so I decided to simply skip through the channels to pass the time until Dimitri came home. I was eager to fix this rift between us.

* * *

A short while later I heard keys enter the lock on the front door and I switched off the TV. Sitting up straighter in my seat, I waited eagerly for the door to open and for Dimitri to enter our apartment, ready for what we had to say to each other.

I was about to greet him when his unusual appearance caught me off guard and a gasp escaped my lips. His lip was swollen and he had a bruise rapidly forming below his eye. His top was stained with blood and his hands were red and shaking.

"What the hell happened to you?" I found myself saying, leaping off the sofa and rushing over to him.

His response was gruff. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He knew full well I would worry so his words were wasted. I reached up to touch the bruise on his face but he stepped backwards out of my reach. Right. No touching.

"Dimitri this sure as hell isn't nothing! Did it happen when you were training?"

He shook his head. "Rose please, I just want to shower and get this off me. Then we can talk."

As if! "But Dim –"

"_Roza_," he begged. "Please."

The sound of my Russian name always melted me and I had to give in. "Okay. Go shower, but be quick."

Dimitri headed to the bathroom and I waited for him once again on the sofa. I sat wondering and confused as to what had happened. It was definitely too bloody to have been caused in the ring. Something must have happened outside of training. But what had_ actually _happened I was unsure.

I heard the water stop running and shortly after, Dimitri emerged in sweatpants and a t-shirt, his large biceps forcing the sleeves to stretch around them. He was no longer covered in red but his bruises lingered, darker than they were twenty minutes ago. My concern grew as he came and rested on the coffee table in front me.

"Dimitri, please tell me what happened," I pleaded.

He couldn't meet my eyes, looking down at the ground instead. "Someone was talking about you."

I looked at him, confused. Lots of people talked about me – I had quite a reputation before me and I rarely went a day without hearing the whispers. But it had never bothered me and so it never _really_ bothered Dimitri either. I was unsure what he meant.

"He called you a Bloodwhore," he continued. "Said I turned you into one when I abused you. That you resent me now because I can't feed from you anymore." While he wasn't looking directly at me I could still see the anger building again in his eyes. I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and resting my hand on his knee to comfort him. To my surprise, he didn't flinch or move away from me.

"He said that's why you went to Adrian's last night, because he could give you the high that I couldn't." His hands instinctively balled into fists and he winced in pain. "I tried to ignore him, Roza, I really did but I just –" he took a breath, "I snapped. I couldn't help it, I was just _so_ angry. How dare he say that stuff about you?"

Dimitri rarely got angry around me, he'd always try to keep in control of himself and remain calm, even when I was _really_ pushing his buttons. Come to think of it, Dimitri rarely lost it in front of anybody – even in battle he was always in control. I remembered the story of how he'd lost control as a boy and had beaten up his father for abusing his mother. Besides that, I think I'd only ever seen him truly snap once – when Tatiana's guards had come to lock me up for murder. He certainly lacked self-control then, and had no issues hurting anyone who attempted to take me away from him. But that was it. I'd lost control way more times in my life than he had and I'd walked this earth for a much shorter amount of time. So seeing him on the verge of fury yesterday, and hearing what had happened today was a shock to me.

"I'm so sorry you had to hear that Dimitri. No one knows what happened between us except you and me. They don't understand," I tried to reassure him.

"He was right though."

"Dimitri, you have to know that's not why I went to Adrian's yesterday. I wouldn't do that to you, I would never!" I pleaded. How could he think I could bring myself to do that to him?

"No, no of course not, Rose! I didn't mean that. I know that's not who you are." Okay, yes, I _had_ cheated on Adrian with Dimitri, but the guilt of what happened ate me up inside. I hated that I hurt Adrian – I was _not _a cheater. "I meant that he was right about me hurting you. I'm so, so sorry Roza. It was unforgivable."

I sighed deeply. "Dimitri, please. You have to know that I forgive you."

He still didn't look at me. "I know."

My brow furrowed – I hadn't expected that response. I had expected him to reject what I said like he had done many times before.

"You – You do?" I questioned.

"Yes. I know you forgive me for what I did." He finally looked up at me. "I spoke to your father."

Okay… This was new.

"He was the one that stopped the fight. Afterwards, I explained what had happened and why I was so angry. I told him why you had been at Adrian's and he basically told me I was an idiot."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah that sounds like him."

"He also said some very kind things about you. He was quite convincing."

I was speechless. Hope flooded my mind - did this mean that he forgave himself too? I questioned him, eager to find out the answer.

"No." That hope was replaced with disappointment. "But I'm going to try. I don't want to let what happened hold us back anymore."

Before I could answer, he leant forward and snaked his arms around my waist in a tight embrace. I could cry I was so happy. I had longed for Dimitri to touch me again and show me some affection and it was finally happening. Instinctively, my arms shot up and clasped around his shoulders.

We stayed like that for a few minutes, enjoying being close to one other again, before he pulled away and looked into my eyes. "And I'm sorry for what I said yesterday, about Adrian. That was out of line."

"It's okay. I forgive you." I responded, before pulling him back towards me and again. I rested my head on his shoulder as we hugged.

"Dimitri?" I whispered.

"Yes, Roza?"

"Will you kiss me?"

I hadn't been kissed in a long time. I needed this affection and I needed to show him that we were okay, that we would get through this.

He pulled away from me but kept his arms around my waist, looking hesitantly between my eyes and my lips.

"Please," I added.

Making his decision, he brought his lips down to mine and instantly my heart started beating faster.

_I love him, I love him, I love him._

Our kiss began slowly – I didn't want to cause more pain to his busted lip – but it quickly progressed into something more desperate, fiery, and soon we were out of breath. I pulled away from him and looked intently into his deep brown eyes.

"Take me to bed, Dimitri."

* * *

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108.**


	5. Chapter 5

_AN: This chapter includes explicit content, if it's not your thing or you're underage then skip it._

* * *

"Take me to bed, Dimitri."

Dimitri's eyes bore into hers. She could see his internal struggle as his body began to heat up with desire, but she could tell he was unsure. His hatred towards his Strigoi days once again holding him back, despite what he had said a few moments ago.

"Please Dimitri," her hand caressed his cheek before tangling itself into his lustrous hair. "I need you."

Her lips met his again, this time more passionately as if her life depended on it. He matched her hunger for his touch and kissed her back fiercely, before hesitantly pulling away. Rose began to think that he may reject her yet again, but as she looked up at him she saw that his eyes were intense with a fire she hadn't seen in a long time.

"Are you sure, Roza?" He questioned. "I – I don't want to hurt you again."

"You have never hurt me and I know you never will." She stated sternly. "I just want to be close to you again. Please."

Dimitri made his decision. There was no doubt in his mind that he loved her and he wanted more than anything in the world for his Roza to be happy, to feel good. While his time as a Strigoi had wounded him emotionally, he trusted Rose enough to start believing he was a good man. And while he had hurt her and abused her in the past, he knew that he could use his time now to erase those memories, and replace them with new ones of passion and love. A second chance.

His strong arms snaked underneath her and he lifted her off the sofa, his hands resting on her ass as he carried her towards their bedroom. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she curled her arms around his shoulders, her lips colliding with his neck, nipping and sucking as they travelled.

By the time they reached the bed, both their breathing was ragged. Dimitri laid her down gently, his body following hers as he held himself above her. He looked down into her eyes and he saw a look on her face similar to the one she had just after Tasha had shot her. Pure, unconditional love. He knew back then that she loved him and he knew it even more now. He couldn't give up on their relationship, he just couldn't. Not while he was so lucky to have a woman so forgiving, so kind-hearted, so breath-taking as Rose.

"You're beautiful." He informed her, before crashing his lips to hers once more. His hands wandered over her body, craving her touch and relishing in the feel of her. He hadn't touched her in so long. What a mistake that was. He couldn't believe he had held himself back from something that he knew was _so_ good.

"So, so beautiful," Dimitri whispered against her lips. Their tongues danced together, each one fighting for dominance and Rose moaned into his mouth. He no longer cared about the pain in his lip – that was long forgotten. He felt her reach around his neck, grabbing the collar of his t-shirt and gently tugging in an attempt to rid him of it. Understanding what she was trying to do, he broke their kiss for no longer than a second as he pulled the material over his head and threw it away from them, discarding it somewhere on the bedroom floor.

Eager to do the same to her, his fingers curled underneath the thin material at the hem of her tank top, disconnecting their lips once more as he gently pulled it over her head. Braless, her nipples stood to attention and Dimitri let out a low growl at the sight. Instantly, his hands reached out to grab them, massaging her breasts in the palm of his hands. His name fell from her lips in pleasure. His fingers danced around the two buds on her mounds, and her moans filled the room. She was falling apart and he hadn't even touched her where she needed him to the most.

Unwilling to wait any longer, she cried out. "Please, Dimitri!"

He smiled as his hands began to move further towards her abdomen, eager to do as she wanted. His could recognise that his eagerness now was different to that in his recent dreams. In those, he was almost feral, only taking what he desired and allowing no time for her pleasure. Here, it was all about her. He wanted to, _needed _to make Rose feel good.

Agonisingly slowly, he lifted her up slightly as he pulled her shorts down towards her feet, taking her lacy underwear with them also. He discarded the final pieces of her clothing on the floor and looked down at the naked beauty below him.

He really could not believe how she came to be so gorgeous. His gaze travelled from looking into her lust-filled eyes, down towards her generously sized breasts, past the curve of her waist before stopping at her opening. He smiled when he saw how wet she was already as her juices oozed over her. She wanted him. The weeks of no sex had caught up to her and she was now desperate for him to touch her.

Rose let out a delicious whimper under his gaze and bucked her hips, anxious for his touch. But he wanted to draw her pleasure out for longer. He started by her ankles, his hands travelling up her legs slowly, caressing her calves and massaging the inside of her thighs. He was so close to her core and Rose was becoming more desperate as the time went by.

"Dimitri…"

Hesitating slightly, he needed to check this was okay. "Tell me you're sure, Roza." Judging by the moans echoing around the room, this was a wasted effort.

"Yes! Please, Dimitri…"

He plunged two fingers inside her soaking core, using his thumb to caress the bundle of nerves at the top as his fingers moved in and out of her, stroking her insides. Like the pain in his lip, the ache in his hands were far out of his mind. He kissed her with a fiery passion, with a desire so intense it was almost painful. Out of breath and filled with pleasure, Rose detached her lips from his and let out a moan, throwing her head back into the pillow below her.

"Fuck, Dimitri, I – oh my God" Hearing her moan his named spurred Dimitri on further, he relished in knowing that he had the ability to make her feel so good, to make her squirm with desire under his touch.

Dimitri wasted no time in attaching his lips to her neck as he continued to pleasure her with his fingers, leaving soft kisses along her jaw line and down to her clavicle. One of her hands found its way into Dimitri's hair, while the other fisted the sheets beside her as she continued to moan for him.

"I missed you Roza", he mumbled against her neck as he attacked her with kisses.

She missed him too. So much. He had barely even looked in her direction the last couple of weeks, even going so far as to sleeping in a separate room. She was frustrated. She wanted him. She _needed _him. She craved his touch.

Dimitri's fingers continued to penetrate her as his mouth explored her body and Rose could feel the tension in her abdomen building. She had almost forgotten how amazing Dimitri was at this. She used to think of him as a God when they were back at St. Vladamir's and this impression of him had only been furthered when they had started to become physical. He had made her feel things she hadn't thought were possible.

Rose's hand untangled from his hair and clawed at his back, unable to control her body's reaction to the pleasure she was feeling. Dimitri let out a quiet moan, which sent shivers down her spine. His head travelled southward, pausing at her breasts to lick, nip and suck their buds, only adding to the intense gratification she was already feeling. She could feel him move further towards the area currently occupied by his hand, his tongue exploring every inch of her body as he did so. Goosebumps appeared on her skin as he left a trail of kisses along her stomach.

When he reached her clit, his mouth took over, his thumb replaced by the wetness of his tongue and she couldn't hold back the cry that escaped her at the sensation. His fingers worked their magic, pumping in and out of her as he worshipped her with his tongue, alternating between sucking and licking the bud at the top of her sex, and it wasn't long before she was trembling beneath him, edging closer to her orgasm.

"Oh fuck, Dimitri, please I'm so close," she moaned.

"Cum for me, Roza" he instructed, before returning his tongue to her clit. A few more laps of the tongue and thrusts of his fingers and she fell apart. Her back arched off the bed, the walls of her core clenching around his fingers as he allowed her to ride out her orgasm. The series of moans and utterances of his name falling from her lips was like music to Dimitri's ears - knowing that he made her feel so good made his dick twitch with anticipation.

When she had come down from her high, he removed his fingers from inside her and moved back up the bed towards her, sucking his fingers as he did so to clean them of her juices. He had forgotten how wonderful she tasted. Rose had never seen anything so sexy before in her life. Seeing him lick her liquid off his fingers made the pleasurable flutters in her belly come scrambling back to her. She needed more of him.

Rose grabbed him by the shoulders and flipped them over so that she was now straddling him. She brought her mouth down to his once more, not caring that she could taste herself on his tongue. If anything, it made the kiss even sexier. Caught up in the sensation of the kiss, Dimitri bucked his hips and Rose felt the bulge in his sweatpants rub against her.

Moving off of him, she edged further down to the bottom of the bed so that her face was in line with his crotch. With eager hands, she laced her fingers around the hem and pulled them down slightly along with his boxers, freeing his erection from the constraints of his clothing. She paused to lick slowly along the underside of his length and lightly kissed the head, earning herself a string of Russian cusses, before pulling his pants and underwear off completely.

Returning to his dick, she wasted no time in returning the favour for her own pleasure just moments ago. She closed her lips around him, taking as much of him in as possible. She wrapped her hand around what wouldn't fit inside her mouth, bobbing her head and moving her hand in unison. Dimitri's own hands reached down and grabbed her hair, pulling it out of her face and into a loose grasp behind her head. This allowed him to witness exactly what she was doing and he marvelled at her skill. Rose had thought that Dimitri was a God, but he thought she was a Goddess. Sucking and licking him eagerly, she heard her name fall from his lips like a prayer:

"Roza… Roza… My Roza…"

His Russian accent always came out thicker while they were intimate and it only added to her desire. Dimitri only had to speak and it turned her on even more.

After a few more moments of her tongue working around his length, she could tell he was close. Not wanting to finish so soon, Dimitri pulled her off of him, using his hands in her hair to guide her back up the bed to straddle him again. He untangled himself from her hair and his hands immediately found home on the curvature of her waist.

She leant forward and kissed his neck before nipping at his ear lobe. "Make love to me," she whispered. Dimitri let out a low growl at her words and his hands tightened their grip. He silently urged her to take control, afraid that unwanted images would cloud his mind and ruin the moment. Rose reached down and held him still as she lowered herself onto him, her flowing juices showing that she was more than ready for him.

She cried out in pleasure when he was fully inside her, raising herself slowly before lowering back onto him. She quickly sped up her pace, and moaned as she rode him, enjoying the quiet grunts coming from the man beneath her.

She missed him, God she had missed him, and this was more than enough to make up for the weeks of distance between them. She just hoped that they would continue to work through it, and Dimitri wouldn't retreat back into himself again, isolating himself from her.

One particular thrust brought her mind back into her intimacy with Dimitri, as he brushed a particularly sensitive spot inside her. She cried out and rode him harder as his hands travelled her body.

After a while, Dimitri recognised that her legs were becoming tired from this position, and her movements became less controlled. Still inside her, he seamlessly flipped them over so that he was now on top her, thrusting into her deeply.

"Roza…" he panted, as her legs tightened around his waist, pulling him even closer to him. "My Roza…"

All fears now out of his mind, he began to take control of their bodies even more, and he pulled out of her before instructing her to turn over. Quickly, she was on her elbows and knees with her ass in the air and Dimitri relished at the sight. Eager for him to enter her again, she pleaded him. He didn't need telling twice, and he soon lined himself up with her entrance, pushing himself slowly in.

"Ah fuck, fuck!" Rose cried out at the feeling, he was buried so deep inside her and she felt amazing.

Dimitri grunted as he began to move again, thrusting in and out of her tight walls, eliciting moan after moan from the woman beneath him. Picking up speed, he reached his arm around her searching for the bundle of nerves just above the area his cock was buried. Using his fingers, he circled the little button in time with his thrusts and she was soon coming undone below him again.

"Oh fuck, yes!" she cried, "please, don't stop…"

Knowing he was close too, his movements became more urgent, more frantic, and Rose quickly began to tremble.

"Cum." He growled, and that was all she needed to send her over the edge. She moaned loudly and her walls clenched around Dimitri's length as wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her.

Her orgasm triggered his, and he thrust into her once more as he came. A string of obscenities, some in Russian, some in English, escaped his lips as he filled her. He stayed buried inside her until he finished, before pulling out and collapsing next to her on the bed. Rose rolled over next to him, laying flush against his body and they both panted in unison as they came down from their highs.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri uttered once they had caught their breaths and their breathing slowed.

Rose looked up and him and chuckled, furrowing her brow in confusion. "No need to be sorry, Comrade, that was amazing."

Dimitri wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him, kissing her forehead. "No, I'm sorry for allowing my own fears get in the way of our relationship," he said softly. He had apologised before taking her to bed but he needed her to know just how sorry he was. "I didn't mean to become so distant from you. I just –"

"I get it, Dimitri, and you don't need to be sorry. You were just scared that you'd hurt me in some way so you distanced yourself to avoid that." Rose knew him so well. The majority of people found Dimitri hard to read, but Rose read him like a book and understood his intentions for anything he did. "You just need to realise that I'm not afraid of you. I trust you with my life. You have to believe me when I say that the man who locked me up in that place is not the same man I'm lying here with now." She sighed. "And I know it's hard for you, I know you still think about the things you did, but I'm here for you, okay? We'll work through it together."

Dimitri couldn't believe the woman lying next to him was his. He felt so incredibly lucky to have someone as understanding as her in his arms.

"I love you, Roza."

"I love you, too," came her reply before she attached her lips to his passionately. They stayed curled up in each other's embrace, too content to move, until Rose broke the connection.

"Anyway, Comrade, do you fancy a pizza? I'll order," she asked as she got up off the bed and pulled on Dimitri's discarded top. He laughed the most sincere laugh Rose had heard from him in a long time and it made her heart skip a beat. She loved the man that lay in front of her with everything she had, and it made her giddy to see him so happy again.

"Of course _you_ would crave a pizza right after having sex," he teased.

* * *

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108**


	6. Chapter 6

**Dimitri's POV**

Rose and I spent the rest of the day tangled in each other's arms, as though we were making up for lost time. I could hardly stand to be away from her and I felt like a love-sick puppy. I no longer had the strength to keep myself from her. I had been a fool. Distancing myself from her only undid all the progress we had made in our relationship and it was almost as though we were back at the Academy – mentor and student, denying our love for each other. It was difficult to stay away from her back then, and even harder now, so my decision to try and put the past behind us and not allow my Strigoi days to hold Rose and I back was needed. I had realised that if I was to let the past have any kind of a hold on us, then the monster inside me would win. He had hurt Rose in Russia and he'd still be hurting her now by influencing me to stay away from her. I couldn't let that happen again.

I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face, lying in bed with the love of my life curled up in my arms, and surprisingly my Strigoi self didn't make an appearance in my dreams at all in the night. It had been the best night's rest I had managed in a long time, and I woke up the next day feeling refreshed and happy, rather than depressed, guilty and full of self-loathing. It was a good feeling.

Christian had asked me to meet him early today to do some training with him, so I woke up earlier than usual and left Rose asleep in bed as I showered. With Vasilisa now reigning, she had been campaigning for the Moroi right to fight alongside their guardians. And with Christian's complete faith in her that she would win the vote, he had been eager to practice with me. I had already taught him some basic offence and defence moves, and he was quickly coming along. Today though, he had wanted to practice using his magic and so, for health and safety reasons, we had to do this early when there was less of a risk to those around him.

I returned to the bedroom after my shower with just a towel wrapped around my waist. I saw that Rose was now awake, but she still lay in bed with the covers pulled up around her. A glimmer of moonlight had escaped through a small gap in the curtains and rested perfectly on her, causing her fanned out hair on the pillow to glisten. I noticed her big, sparkling eyes peeking up and staring at me from just above the covers.

"You see something you like?" I questioned with a smirk, knowing this was the exact same question she had not so subtly asked me those years ago when I had caught her with that Jesse what's-his-name.

I heard her giggle and I knew she was smiling behind the sheets. "I always see something I like when you're in the room, Comrade."

I smiled at her forwardness.

"What have you and Vasilisa got planned for today?" I asked as I discarded my towel and pulled on a pair of boxers and my trousers.

She pulled the covers back slowly and sat up in the bed, stretching as a yawn escaped her lips. "Not much. I think she wants to go over her speech again before addressing everyone tomorrow but other than that I don't think she really has any plans to go anywhere."

After rummaging in my chest-of-drawers for a top, I pulled it on, unable to miss the slight look of disappointment on Rose's face when she saw that I was now fully clothed. "So you'll just be hanging out then?" I chuckled.

"Probably," she climbed out of bed and made her way over to me before kissing me softly. "It's amazing being your best friend's guardian," she added before disappearing towards the bathroom.

I smiled, knowing that Rose was so happy made my heart sing. I finished dressing and put on my shoes ready to leave. I grabbed my phone, wallet, keys and, as always, my stake – not that I ever needed it at Court – and called out to Rose to let her know I was leaving. I heard her shout something back to me but it was unintelligible, the sound of the shower drowning her out. I presumed it was just a goodbye and left, ready for my day with Christian.

I enjoyed my work as Christian's guardian. We had come to know each other pretty well and were quickly becoming good friends. It wasn't the same as when I had been Ivan's guardian, but I didn't think anything ever would be. In spite of that, spending the majority of my time with Christian wasn't something I dreaded, so I looked forward to going to work each day.

* * *

The day passed with nothing out of the ordinary happening. No one seemed to be talking about what had happened at the coffee shop the day before, meaning those who were privy to what occurred were obviously listening to Abe's threats, too scared to spread gossip. I did however receive a few stares due to the deep bruise under my eye, and of course a couple of questions from Christian regarding it too.

I returned home to the apartment that evening, calling out Rose's name as I entered to see if she was home. There was no response so I imagined she was still with Vasilisa. With no real plans for the rest of the evening, I decided I would make a start on another book, but something stopped me in my tracks as I closed the front door. Stuck underneath the mat was an envelope.

I was immediately on edge. Rose and I never received a lot of mail besides bills and our pay checks, and those were always placed through the letter box. This had been intentionally placed under the mat, and as I reached down to grab it I knew straight away that it was not another bill. There were no markings on the envelope and no stamp, only a handwritten scribble to show who it was intended for: _Belikov._

After picking up the curious artefact, I closed the door behind me and went to sit down on the sofa. Not recognising the handwriting, I tentatively opened the envelope to reveal what was inside. I had pulled out a letter, and was instantly intrigued as to who it was from. It couldn't have been from Mama or any of my sisters – their handwriting was different, softer. This writing was more frantic, messier. Curiously, I read its words:

_'Belikov._

_How is our dear Rose? I often think of her, you know. I miss her. I miss staring at her marvellous body, wondering what it would feel like to touch her. You never did let me have my way with her did you? I bet it would have been amazing._

_You see, I'm torn between the desire to kill her, to make her pay for all the times she taunted me or tried to kill me, and the desire to make her mine. I know how much either option would destroy you, but that's not really my concern. I have no allegiance to you now that you're no longer one of us._

_She really is so beautiful - I often think about what might have happened if you hadn't interrupted us that day back in Russia. I remember she looked delicious, in that long silk dress with the purple flowers. Ravaging. She would have made me feel so good. And after taking from her what I needed I would have finally given her the bite she so desperately craved. I could see it in her eyes. She wanted me._

_Yes, I think I'd like to keep her for myself for a while. I guess you were right Dimitri - she's much too valuable to just be simply killed._

_Please give her my love,_

_Nathan.'_

My eyes scanned the page twice, three times, four times, still disbelieving what I was reading. Nathan? I had killed him back in Russia during Rose's daring escape mission. This had to be some sort of sick and twisted joke.

My brow furrowed as I read the letter again.

_I remember she looked delicious, in that long silk dress with the purple flowers. Ravaging._

That was awfully specific. Too specific. I remembered that dress too, and only four people had seen it – Rose, Inna, Nathan and myself. It was too much of a coincidence for someone else to write something as specific as that. I had killed him, I was sure of it.

But had I? I tried to rack my brain and remember any sort of indication that Nathan was still alive before I had taken off into the night after Rose. No, I was sure I had killed him.

I think.

He definitely hadn't come after me and he hadn't been there when I returned. I had just presumed at the time that our 'helpers' had disposed of the bodies, too furious that Rose had bested me to really care about what had happened to them.

But what if they hadn't…

No. This couldn't be happening, I couldn't believe it. I shook my head and stood up quickly from my perch on the edge of the sofa. It was a joke, it had to be. I paced the room, the letter still in my hand.

_Our dear Rose…_

Nathan couldn't stand Rose, he had told me time and time again what he wished he could do to her, and it was always along the lines of 'rip her limb from limb', 'drain the life out of her' or 'starve her until she was weak before putting her out of her misery'. He had definitely not shown any desire to 'have his way with her'. Although, he was right in saying that I _had _interrupted him one day. Would he have taken her if I hadn't barged in?

I couldn't bear the thought.

This wasn't Nathan, it couldn't be. Besides, Rose was safe. She was here behind the protection of the wards – even if Nathan had someone sent this letter he wouldn't be able to get anywhere near her. An image of Nathan forcing himself on Rose, beating her and abusing her flashed across my mind and I quickly grew angry. I wouldn't let that happen. I couldn't let that happen to her again.

With a growl I tore up the letter and threw the remains in the bin. It was all an empty threat – Nathan wouldn't ever have the opportunity to lay a hand on Rose. Not while she was safe here with me.

Suddenly, the front door began to open, making me jump and snapping me out of my spiralling thoughts. Rose was home. I quickly took some calming breaths and plastered a smile on my face. There was no way she needed to know about the letter, so I simply discarded it from my mind.

An empty threat, that's all it was.

Rose approached me and engulfed me in a warm embrace. "Hey you, how was your day?"

I gently planted a kiss on the top of her head before she stepped away. "It was fine, the usual," I replied.

She eyed me curiously, "Are you okay? You look a bit flustered." I just shrugged and reassured her that I was okay. "What are you doing over here by the counter? I thought I'd find you reading," she questioned. I detected a slight hint of a tease in her voice. More often than not, Rose would come home and find me sprawled across the sofa with a western in my hands, so it wasn't a surprise that she had expected to find me like that today. Unfortunately, _something_ had come up.

_I think I'd like to keep her for myself for a while…_

"I uh, I thought I'd make us dinner tonight," I quickly excused. "Would you like that?"

"Mmm, of course, I love it when you cook. I'm just going to get changed quickly, okay?" She kissed me briefly on my cheek before strolling into the bedroom to get dressed into something other than her work clothes.

"I guess I had better think of something to cook then," I thought to myself, and I began searching through the cupboards, the words of 'Nathan's' letter still echoing inside my head.

_She's much too valuable to just be simply killed…_

* * *

**A bit of a short one but there you have it, Nathan is beginning to claw his way into our story. Things are going to start happening now that Dimitri and Rose are finally getting their relationship back on track - I couldn't let them enjoy themselves for too long now could I?**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Parts of this chapter have been taken directly from Last Sacrifice as I wanted to use bits of Lissa's speech in this chapter. Just a quick disclaimer so I'm not sued haha.**

* * *

**Rose's POV**

"We're a people at war."

Lissa's voice rang out loud and clear. It came out softly, but with enough sternness to convey her authority. This definitely wasn't the first time Lissa was addressing her people in this huge room, but each time she did I was captivated by her words and her presence. I stood to the side of the stage, allowing myself a clear view of the audience and a strong vantage point to protect Lissa should something happen. I scanned the room and saw Christian and Adrian sat in the front row of seats below her. Dimitri and Eddie stood with their backs against the wall just to the side of them, keeping a constant watch on their charges, while also scanning the rest of the room like me. All the while concentrating on my duty, I listened eagerly to her words.

"We are constantly under threat, even more so now with the merciless attacks by Strigoi not far from here. And they are moving closer. They will no doubt be here soon." A wave of nervous murmurs spread across the room as Lissa paused. There had been reports of Strigoi attacks for weeks now, and when we had analysed them and looked at their locations during one of our guardian meetings, we identified that the killings were getting closer as the days went by. Everyone was on edge, concerned that the Strigoi were heading our way, and we had desperately been trying to come up with a plan of action.

Lissa continued. "But we are not just under threat by Strigoi. We are threatened by one another. We're divided. We fight with one another. Family against family. Royal against non-royal. Moroi against Dhampir. Can you see why the Strigoi are picking us off? They're at least united behind a goal: killing."

Lissa paused for affect and looked confidently around the room.

"We are one people," she continued. "Moroi and Dhampir alike."

The murmurs trickled across the room once more.

"And while it's impossible for every single person to get their way, no one will get anything done if we don't come together and find ways to meet in the middle-even if it means making hard choices."

A Moroi girl I didn't know took this moment to stand up and eagerly ask her question. "Is this about the Moroi that want to fight with their guardians? Has that been resolved yet?"

Lissa looked towards the woman, kindness and warmth spread across her features. "I understand that some Moroi are eager to get out there and help. And I am too. I support you." Numerous people in the audience began shaking their heads and folding their arms, physically showing their distaste to what their Queen had said. "But," she continued, "there are some people in this room and on this council that have clearly voiced their concerns about this matter."

"Too right!" A voice echoed from near the back of the room and a man in his mid-forties shot out of his seat in anger. The guardians near him all trained their eyes on him, wary and ready to apprehend if he did anything out of the ordinary. "We shouldn't have to fight! We shouldn't have to put our lives in danger for the likes of _them_!" Spitefulness dripped of his tongue at his use of the word 'them' as he gestured to us guardians place around the edge of the room.

Lissa spoke up, addressing the man directly. "While I do not appreciate your lack of respect for our friends that protect us, I do understand your concerns. I believe it is important that we have a choice." She began scanning the room again, her next words meant for everyone in the room. "I propose that Moroi have the freedom to fight should they wish to help. Whether physically or through magic, that decision is up to them. We shouldn't have to rely entirely on our guardians. We can be valuable to them. We can help them. We can learn to defend ourselves." Lissa saw the man about to protest again, but spoke up before he had the chance. "However," her voice called out, "it should not be mandatory. If you choose not to fight alongside your guardians then so be it. That's your decision."

The man sat back down in his seat, clearly surprised by what she had said. The murmurs trickled across the room like a wave yet again, but to my untrained ear they seemed to be murmurs of agreement. My body filled with pride and affection towards Lissa. She was powerful.

"The council and I have much more to discuss on this matter, but for now it is important that you understand you will _not _be forced into battle should there be one." The murmurs soon turned into applause, the audience clearly showing their approval.

Lissa allowed the clapping to die down, before concluding her speech. "We have always mixed the old with the new. We've kept magic alongside technology. We conduct these sessions with scrolls and with these." She smiled and tapped her microphone. "That's how we have survived. We hold onto our pasts and embrace our present. We take the best of it all and grow stronger. That's how we have survived. That's how we will survive. Change is necessary to guarantee our future."

A load roar of applause filled the room as Lissa stepped back down from the podium. I quickly moved to walk beside her as she began making her way down the steps and towards the exit. Christian and Adrian met us at the doors, with Dimitri and Eddie close behind them.

We walked quickly and in silence as we made our way to Lissa and Christian's home, as to avoid anyone from the public stopping us and bombarding Lissa with questions. When we reached our destination and were all behind closed doors, I all but pounced on Lissa and trapped her in a hug.

"That was amazing, Liss!" I exclaimed after I released her from my hold. Adrian, Eddie and Dimitri had already moved to the sofas and chairs but I could see them all nodding in agreement in my peripheral vision.

Christian came and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her lovingly on the lips, and I wrinkled my nose at them in disgust before moving to join our friends in the living room. "You were fantastic, babe. I really think things might start to change now," I heard him say behind me.

Lissa looked slightly embarrassed from all the praise she was receiving as she took her seat on the sofa next to Adrian. Christian followed closely and sat beside her, and I took my place opposite them next to Dimitri. Eddie, as always, opted to stand.

"Thank you, guys. Your support means so much to me," she said gratefully.

"It's not just us, did you not hear them at the end clapping for you? I think people are really starting to get on board with the idea of Moroi defending themselves," Adrian mentioned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders with a friendly squeeze before dropping it back down to his side.

"Adrian's right, Liss. When do you get to vote?" I questioned.

She shrugged, unsure. "Hopefully soon, there's just a couple more things I need to discuss with the council but we should hopefully be able to bring it to a vote in the next few weeks."

"And what about the Strigoi attacks? Are the guardians any closer to an agreement?" Adrian questioned, now looking between Eddie, Dimitri and I.

"Ugh, don't even." I muttered. We guardians might be deadly, fierce and powerful, but when it comes to agreeing on a decision, we were almost as bad as the royal council. No offence to Lissa, of course. It was frustrating to say the least.

Eddie spoke up. "No, unfortunately. A lot of them still don't think we have a solid plan. They don't want to risk it."

Since the Strigoi attacks started a few weeks ago, us guardians had been brainstorming ideas on how to approach the situation. Some of us, like Eddie, Dimitri and I, wanted to gather Intel and strike _them_ before they came too close to court. This, however, had proven problematic as there seemed to be no pattern in the attacks, and there was also the small problem that we had no idea where these Strigoi where hiding. Because of this, many guardians didn't support us in our plan to seek them out and attack first.

As Eddie explained this to our friends, I looked to my left towards Dimitri sitting next to me. He hadn't spoken a word since we arrived and he looked lost in thought. I rested my hand on his knee and he practically jumped out of his skin, not expecting the sudden contact. It wasn't often that Dimitri wasn't concentrating on his surroundings so I immediately knew something was bothering him. Concerned, I took his hand in mine, tracing little circles on the back of his hand with my thumb.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, out of earshot from the rest of our company.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he responded, offering me a small smile alongside his words. I wasn't convinced, and this was obviously portrayed by the look on my face. "I promise, Roza. Don't worry," he added, squeezing my hand slightly.

I knew something was bothering him. He had the same look on his face that he had when I returned home yesterday and I was sure something was wrong then, too. Not wanting to push him in front of Lissa and the rest, I let it slide. I wondered what had got into his head, though. Had something happened to him yesterday like it had at the coffee shop a few days ago? I eyed him up and down searching for any signs of another fight but couldn't find any.

"Anyway, we have something much more fun to discuss!" Adrian suddenly exclaimed, snapping me out of my inspection of Dimitri. "Forget Strigoi attacks, it's our Rose's birthday soon isn't it?"

Lissa practically jumped out of her seat. "Oh, yes it is!" She let out a squeal similar to that of a five year old who had just convinced her parents to buy her ice cream. "How exciting! What are we going to do?"

"Actually, Liss, I'm not too bothered about doing anything for it," I admitted.

Adrian looked physically wounded at my comment. A look of disappointment spread across his face and he clutched at his chest as though I had stabbed him with my stake. "No party?"

I nodded.

"How can there not be a party?" He questioned, as though it was the most unnatural thing in the world to not have a party.

I shrugged, "I dunno. I don't really feel like it, that's all." It was true. While Dimitri had been acting all distant, my mind had been preoccupied with worrying about him, thinking about the Strigoi attacks and keeping on top of my duties as Lissa's guardian. I hadn't had time to even think about my birthday.

Adrian realised I was serious and pouted, crossing his arms and leaning against the back of the sofa like a spoilt child. I couldn't help but chuckle. If anyone was always eager for a party, it was Adrian.

"Actually," Dimitri finally spoke, "I was planning on cooking you a nice meal and having a quite night in."

Christian scoffed. "Well we all know what that's code for right?" He stated with a knowing smirk.

"Christian!" Lissa exclaimed, landing a slight smack on his arm.

"What?" He questioned with an innocent look plastered on his face. I shot him a glare and turned to look at Dimitri.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

Dimitri leaned over and planted a kiss on my forehead. "Of course. If that's okay with you?"

"Yeah, I'd like that very much," I replied, ignoring the exasperated groan from Adrian.

"I guess I'll just have to have my own party then…" he huffed.

* * *

**So, a bit of a filler chapter really but I wanted to give a quick background on what has been happening outside of Dimitri and Rose's relationship.**

**I think Rose has also realised that something is bothering Dimitri... Do you think Dimitri should have told her about Nathan's letter straight away or did he do the right thing by not worrying her with it?**

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108**


	8. Chapter 8

_AN: This chapter contains a brief section of explicit content._

* * *

**Rose's POV – ** _Two weeks later._

Anybody else would no doubt resent having to work on their birthday, but as my work involved me guarding my best friend I didn't mind too much as it meant I got to hang out with her all day. Plus, with Lissa being Lissa, it gave her the opportunity to spoil me.

"Really Liss, you didn't have to do this." I protested, as my best friend came back into the room, a pile of presents in her arms so tall she could barely see over the top of it. She reached the table in front of me and placed the presents down gently.

"Happy Birthday Rose!" She chirped happily. She sat down opposite me and watched as I started to open the presents. "I hope you like what we got you."

"Shouldn't I wait for Christian if they're from the both of you?" I asked.

"Please!" Lissa scoffed. "As if Christian has any clue what we bought you. Presents aren't his thing. I just sign his name at the bottom so people think he's helped," she giggled.

"Sounds about right," I laughed, reaching for a present to open. I didn't mind – I knew Christian cared about me even if he didn't like to admit it. He tried to act like he hated me, making fun of me and teasing me mercilessly, but really he was a sort-of 'big brother' figure to me. I knew he had my back when I needed him to.

As always, Lissa went way over the top with her presents, spending way too much of her money on me. She always said that I deserved it and that she enjoyed spoiling me and so I let it slide, knowing it made her happy.

When I reached the final present, Lissa visibly grew anxious and she started to chew on a loose piece of skin around her thumbnail. "I wasn't sure about this one," she admitted. "If you don't like it I can take it back."

Confused, I delicately un-wrapped the paper, and inside was a small jewellery box. I opened it carefully and came face to face with a piece of jewellery that made my heart skip a beat. I would recognise it anywhere. A delicate gold chain with a diamond pendant in the shape of a rose. Identical to the one Victor had bought and charmed years ago.

Lissa immediately started rambling. "See I wasn't sure if you'd like it. I know it holds a lot of bad memories, and yeah, I know you don't like rose stuff but this was different – I know that you did really like it before all that stuff happened. Oh god, I shouldn't have got it. I just saw it and I thought it couldn't have been a coincidence so I bought it for you and oh… I'm sorry. I'll get you something else."

"Liss, I love it. Thank you," I said reaching over the table between us and giving her a hug. She was right to say that it held a lot of memories, both good and bad, but she was also right when she said that I had loved this necklace. I had to admit, it was beautiful.

"Are you sure?" She asked when I let her go. I nodded and reassured her that I was grateful for her gift. I thanked her for all of her presents, again reiterating that she didn't have to spoil me this much.

Lissa and I sat talking about anything and everything for a few more hours, when I noticed that she had started to fidget and an anxious look spread over her features. She was trying desperately to engage in the conversation, but I couldn't help but notice that her mind was elsewhere when she kept glancing down at her watch.

"Why do you keep looking at the time? Trying to get rid of me?" I teased.

Lissa looked mortified. "No!" She exclaimed. "No. I was just curious as to how long it was until your shift ended."

"So you _are_ trying to get rid of me?" I glanced at the clock on the wall. "There's fifteen minutes left until I'm off the clock."

Lissa looked down at the ground and I was sure I heard her mumble something along the lines of, "that's not enough time."

"What did you say Liss?" I questioned.

She quickly looked up at me, "Hm? Nothing, nothing. Just talking to myself that's all."

"Okay, you're acting really strange, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, really!" She tried to sound convincing but instead she sounded as though I had just caught a child doing something they shouldn't be, like playing with their mother's make up. "I just don't want you to leave yet. It's your birthday, I want to hang out with you!"

"Liss, when do I ever just come over for my shift and leave dead on six o'clock? You forget that I _like_ being here." I chuckled. "I'll stay a bit longer, but it can't be too late - Dimitri's cooking me dinner, remember?"

Lissa nodded before quickly glancing at her watch again. Something was going on.

We talked together for a short while longer, when we heard the door open and Christian stepped inside, back from wherever he and Dimitri had been today.

"Hey babe I'm back. Dimitri's just –"

"Christian! You're home!" Lissa cut him off suddenly, her eyes practically bulging out of her head. She jumped out of her seat to kiss him and Christian eyed her curiously. So it wasn't just me that thought she was acting strange!

"What's going on? Oh – hey Rose" Christian said, glancing at me sheepishly. "I forgot you were here. Fuck."

Okay, now they were both acting weird. Growing more concerned by the minute, I questioned them. "Seriously guys, why are you acting so bizarre?"

Christian just shook his head and came over to me, before wrapping me in a hug and wishing me a happy birthday. Again, strange – he was never this nice to me. Even on my birthdays I had to endure some sort of teasing and the usual sarcastic comments from him. I glared at him - something was definitely going on.

* * *

I stayed at Lissa and Christian's a little while longer before insisting that I really had to get going if I wanted to get home in time for Dimitri's home-cooked meal. They had still been acting strangely around me but became very defensive when I questioned them so I gave up. If only Lissa and I were still bonded – I'd be able to know straight away what was up. I hated being out of the loop. I gathered up my presents, giving my thanks to them both once more before heading back home.

I practically ran home, too excited for my evening with Dimitri to dawdle. Since we had started to resolve our issues a few weeks ago, we were finally getting back to a normal place in our relationship and, if possible, my love for him had doubled. As much as it had annoyed Adrian when I told him I didn't want a party, I would much rather spend the night alone being spoiled by Dimitri than have a crazy party and not remember any of it the next day. I guess I really had matured since my days at the Academy.

However, when I reached the front door of our apartment, I suddenly felt like a sixteen year old again, with butterflies swarming around my belly in nervousness and anticipation. I knew there was no reason to be nervous, but the mere thought of Dimitri just made my heart soar and my knees weak. No matter how old we grew together I would always feel like a giddy teenager about to go on her first date.

After turning my key in the lock, I gently pushed open the door and stepped inside. The sight before me took my breath away. The whole apartment was lit up with candles in an orange glow, the curtains drawn tight to keep the rapidly rising sun out. In the middle of the room stood Dimitri, dressed in a black shirt and tie, his shoulder-length hair tied back into a ponytail and a bouquet of flowers in his arms. He had the most adorable smile on his face and I felt my heart skip a beat – he looked incredible. This was not good for the butterflies in my stomach.

"What's all this?" I asked, quickly setting my presents from Lissa down on the floor. This must have been why Lissa and Christian were acting so strangely – It had been Lissa's job to keep me occupied while Christian and Dimitri were setting this up. "Hang on; you're not proposing are you?" I asked desperately. As much as I adored him, I was not ready for marriage yet.

Dimitri's smile grew wider and he chuckled. "No of course not. I know you want to wait until you have a 'two' at the beginning of your age." I couldn't help but notice the slight flicker of disappointment behind his eyes. I smiled and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around him as he planted a kiss on the top of my head. "I just wanted to do something nice and romantic for your birthday," he informed me, setting the flowers down on the coffee table. "And I wanted to say sorry if I've been acting weird recently, I've just had a lot on my mind."

It was true that Dimitri had been lost in his thoughts a lot more than usual recently – I first noticed it at Lissa's after she had given her speech two weeks ago, but I didn't want to ask him about it in front of our friends. And then of course me being me, I totally forgot about it until a few days later and when I finally asked him, he insisted there was nothing wrong. At the time I hadn't wanted to push him, too afraid of pushing him away by interfering, so I let it slide. I hoped that Dimitri trusted me enough to confide in me when he was ready.

I looked him curiously up and down. "So no proposal?"

"No proposal," he confirmed with a cheeky grin. "Although," he added, "You'll have a two at the start of your number next year."

I laughed and lightly elbowed him. "Still too young."

"Not according to my grandmother, she's seen it."

"Yes, but she's crazy so what does she know?"

"Hmm," he uttered with a sparkle in his eye, before leaning down and kissing me softly on the lips. "Happy Birthday, Roza."

I thanked him before stepping away from our embrace, moving to take off my shoes and hang up my jacket. "Dinner smells wonderful" I noted.

Dimitri informed me that it would be ready soon, and instructed me to wait for him to bring the food over. I sat down at the table which, not unlike the rest of the apartment, had an arrangement of candles lit in the centre. There were two glasses of wine poured ready for us, and also a basket of - -

"Is this black bread?" I asked excitedly as Dimitri came over with two plates of our food.

He nodded. "Mama told me you liked it when we were over there so I thought I would make you some."

"I seriously love you," I grinned.

* * *

"_Please_ Dimitri, I can't – I need to –"

"What do you want, Roza?" he asked with a smirk, acting innocently as if he really had no clue what I wanted, what I _needed. _It was a game Dimitri liked to play when he was feeling particularly racy – 'let's see how much teasing Rose can take until she begs to cum'. A game I both loved and loathed.

The need for relief burned within me. I couldn't help but writhe beneath his touch as his thumb brushed over my bundle of nerves with his fingers buried deep inside me, edging me closer to my release. My breaths came out heavier and my eyes clamped shut as I felt it drawing nearer and nearer, until all too quickly his hand left me, taking with it my pleasure.

"Please!" I cried out, desperate for him to come back and touch me. It was the third time he'd denied me and I was becoming increasingly frustrated.

"_What_ do you want, Roza?" I heard Dimitri ask again, his hands caressing my thighs _so_ close to the spot I needed him to touch the most.

"I want to cum! Fuck, please…"

Dimitri growled and his thumb began tracing circles over my clit once more, this time his fingers replaced by his cock as he thrust into me. It only took a few movements of our hips coming together until my orgasm hit me intensely and my body shook uncontrollably below him. I cried out his name, my legs locked around his waist and hands tangled in his hair pulling him close. It was as though I couldn't get enough of him. I needed him closer. I craved him. I was addicted to him and the way he made me feel.

"Fuck, Roza," he moaned as my walls tightened around him.

I kissed him passionately as he continued moving in and out of me, silently thanking him for finally allowing my much-needed release.

He seemed to know what my kiss was saying, and I saw a smirk creep onto his face after I pulled away.

"Oh, we're not done yet, Roza…" he promised, pulling himself out of me before leaving a trail of kisses down my body, his tongue eventually finding home on the sweet spot between my legs.

More moans escaped my lips and I couldn't help but buck my hips in pleasure. This would be an eventful night…

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

You expect I'd be tired after the events earlier this evening, and yet I lay in bed wide awake, unable to drift off to sleep. I tossed and turned, worrying I would wake Rose every time I rolled over. I peered over at her sleeping softly and admired her beauty. She looked so peaceful, so content. A smile crept its way onto my face – she was captivating. She had such a tight grasp on my heart that it almost pained me. But for her, I didn't mind the pain. I loved her too much.

Eventually giving up trying to sleep, I slipped quietly out of the bed and I silently made my way to the living room to read my book, hoping it would help me fall asleep. I lay on the sofa reading until I began to feel tired, and after about an hour I decided I would try sleeping again. I placed the western down on the coffee table before making my way back to the bedroom.

Just barely, I heard a noise outside the front door, as if someone was lingering out there. Glancing down to the edge of the door, I saw a shadow move slightly, confirming my theory. Immediately on edge, I quickly grabbed my stake from the small table next to me and crept to the door. I took a breath and swung the door open, coming face to face with… nothing. Whoever was there had disappeared. I peered out into the hall, looking down the corridor for anything out of the ordinary. As it was the middle of the night, the sun was shining outside which meant that I could clearly see down the hallway. And yet, I saw nothing. As I was about to head back inside, I lowered my gaze to the floor and saw something that made my heart sink.

_'Belikov.'_

Another envelope. I dreaded to think what was in it. Just as I was about to pick it up, I realised that whoever had left this and was lingering by the door couldn't have gotten far in this short amount of time. Grabbing my key and closing the door behind me, I ran. I didn't come across anyone in the building and when I got to the bottom floor I burst outside, not caring that I was in my sweatpants and no t-shirt. The grounds outside the building were empty. I couldn't see a soul - whoever left the envelope was long gone.

_At least I know it wasn't Nathan himself,_ I thought. We'd have known by now if the wards were down. Besides, Strigoi couldn't venture into sunlight, and with it being the middle of the night I knew that Nathan couldn't have been here even if they _had_ failed.

I made my way back to the apartment, slowly opening the door as to not wake Rose, and picked up the envelope from the floor. Once inside, I tore it open. It was larger than the previous one, and when I looked inside I saw that there was a letter addressed to me, and a second envelope with Rose's name on it - there was something for the both of us this time. I took out my letter and read it carefully.

_'Belikov._

_If my timing has worked out well then it is our darling Rose's birthday. Another year older but I have no doubt in my mind that she is just as delicious as the last time I saw her. I hope you enjoy spoiling her today, no doubt you will enjoy her more… intimately… later._

_I am sincere when I say I hope you enjoy it – as much as it enrages me to think of you with my Rose. It won't be long before she'll be here with me and you'll no longer have her to play with. I suggest you make the most of it. I promise to treat her well though; you won't have to worry about that._

_Please give Rose my love. I'll be seeing you both very soon._

_Nathan._

_P.S – I have left a little something for Rose. See that she gets it.'_

My jaw clenched and I felt the anger inside me flaring up. I discarded the letter on the coffee table in front of me and my hands immediately balled into fists, my nails digging into the palm of my hands so fiercely I was surprised I didn't draw blood.

I was going to kill him.

I didn't care that I had no clue where in the world Nathan was. I was going to find him and kill him before he ever had a chance to lay a hand on my Roza. She was _my_ Roza. How dare he call her his? I realised then that I hadn't taken his first letter seriously enough - this threat was real.

Taking a deep breath, I reached for the envelope with Rose's name on it.

_I have left a little something for Rose. See that she gets it._

There was no way in the world I was going to give this to her. I opened it quickly and inside I saw a birthday card with a lone red rose on the cover. "Original," I scoffed.

Eager to know what Nathan had to say to Rose, I looked inside.

_'My Dearest Rose, I hope you're well._

_Many happy returns on your birthday today._

_I'm looking forward to seeing you soon._

_Nathan x'_

At least his words to Rose were much kinder than his words to me, despite the underlying threat. I couldn't help but wonder what he had meant by he'll be seeing us 'soon'. What was he planning? My mind started to spiral, trying to make sense of everything happening - had he been behind the recent Strigoi attacks nearby? Was he heading here next? I knew that I needed to find out his plans and apprehend him before he found his way to Rose, and the rest of us at court, even if the guardians were against it. I needed to stop him.

I was lost deep in my thoughts when the door to the bedroom crept open. "Dimitri?" I looked up and saw Rose standing in the doorway, yawning. "What are you doing out here?"

I quickly shoved my letter and Rose's card into the pages of the book I had luckily left on the coffee table earlier, thankful that Rose seemed too tired and confused to really pay attention to what I was doing.

"I couldn't sleep so I came out here to read," I told her, standing up from the sofa and moving towards her. "I was just about to come back to bed, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just woke up and rolled over and saw that you weren't there," she reached out and indicated that she wanted to take my hand. I walked over and gladly gave it to her, standing beside her in the entrance to our bedroom. "I was worried you were sleeping out here again."

"Oh no, of course not Roza," I squeezed her hand in reassurance. "Like I said, I just couldn't sleep."

Rose nodded sleepily, and pulled me by the arm back towards the bed. She curled up in the middle of the bed and I lay down beside her, kissing her shoulder softly before wrapping my arm over her waist.

"Goodnight, Roza," I whispered. "I love you."

There was no response from her - she had already fallen back into her slumber. I decided to follow suit and closed my eyes, attempting to push all worries of Nathan out of my mind, knowing I would deal with his threats tomorrow. I couldn't allow him to ruin a perfect evening.

Trying not to focus on the letters and the threats towards my girlfriend proved difficult, but I managed to drift off to sleep a short while later - holding the woman in my embrace just slightly tighter than usual.

She would always be safe as long as she was in my arms.

* * *

**It took a little while (a while for me anyway) to begin writing this chapter. My motivation just dipped and I wasn't feeling too good about the story but I finally gave myself the kick up my arse to finally get on with it.**

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108**

**H x**


	9. Chapter 9

**Rose's POV**

"Come on Rose, I want details! How was your birthday?" Lissa exclaimed. Adrian, Lissa, Eddie and I were hanging out at Lissa's place while Dimitri and Christian were out somewhere together. Eddie, Dimitri and I had a meeting scheduled for later this afternoon so we had been killing time with our friends until then.

"Ugh, I really don't fancy hearing the details of Rose's sex life thank you very much." Adrian groaned from the armchair at the side of the room, rolling his eyes in a mixture of frustration and disgust.

"I had a lovely time," I told Lissa, despite Adrian's complaining. Although we were at a good place in our friendship, I didn't feel that it was fair to discuss the intimate details of mine and Dimitri's relationship in front of him. I shot her a look that said 'we'll talk later' when I saw the disappointment in her eyes at the realisation she wasn't going to get any details.

In all honesty, my birthday had been amazing. It was exactly what I had wanted – a quiet night in with the love of my life, a home cooked meal and some very, _very _good sex. I had woken up this morning with a huge grin on my face as I found myself wrapped tightly in Dimitri's arms. It was a huge difference to how I was waking a few weeks ago – alone and unhappy – so I was not taking waking up next to Dimitri for granted anymore. He was, without a doubt, my happy place.

We continued talking aimlessly together for a little longer, all the while Adrian moaning at me because I still hadn't replaced the plant I threw up in after mine and Dimitri's argument. I was still under the belief that it was his fault, so there was no way I was buying him a new one, much to Adrian's annoyance. A short while later, the front door opened and Christian entered, greeting us all with a hello and a smile. I had expected Dimitri to walk in behind him, but Christian closed the door before anyone else entered. He was on his own.

"Dimitri's not with you?" I asked.

"Nah, he walked with me back here and then said he had something to do," Christian informed me with a shrug of his shoulders. "Before you ask, no, he didn't tell me what it was that he needed to do," he added, moving to sit beside Lissa and planting a light kiss on her cheek.

Dimitri had told me this morning that he would meet me at Lissa's and we would walk to the guardian meeting together, so I was confused as to why the plan had suddenly changed. I took out my phone and shot him a quick text to check that he was okay. A few minutes later my phone buzzed with his reply:

'_All good. Just wanted to do some research before the meeting. X'_

'_Alright Comrade. See you at the meeting? X' _I replied, before returning to the conversation in front of me.

* * *

As it neared the time of the meeting, Eddie and I excused ourselves and made our way to the meeting together.

"Hey Eddie, I'm going to find Dimitri quickly. I'll see you in there okay?" I told him as we got closer to our destination. He simply nodded and told me that he would see me later. Dimitri hadn't replied to my last message so I needed to check he was okay before going to the meeting.

I pushed through the doors of the guardian headquarters and made my way to the records room where I found Dimitri sat at a computer, hunched over a file with his hands tangled in his hair. He didn't even look up when I entered the room so I knew whatever he was looking at had completely engrossed him.

"Dimitri?" I questioned as I began walking over to him.

He finally looked up from the file on the desk, closing it quickly when he saw me walking up to him. "Hello, Roza," he greeted me as he placed the file in his bag, "what are you doing here?"

"It's time for the meeting," I said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Dimitri, however, seemed surprised and looked down at his watch as if he didn't quite believe me.

"Oh wow" he said, more to himself than to me, as he stood up from the desk and ran a hand through his loose hair. "I guess I lost track of time," he added.

Dimitri picked up his bag and began heading towards the door to leave, but I caught his arm to stop him. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me. "Don't we have to go?" he questioned.

He was right - we were needed at the meeting which started in less than five minutes, but I was concerned. He had been looking at something so intensely and he had a look on his face that I couldn't quite work out what it meant. Anger? Fear? Something else altogether? I was usually pretty good at knowing what Dimitri was thinking without ever having to ask him, but for some reason I couldn't read him now. I had no idea what was going on.

"Are you okay?" I asked, genuine worry showing in my tone of voice.

Dimitri placed both hands on my shoulders before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. I instinctively closed my eyes and lent into his touch. "Of course I am, Roza" he informed me as he stepped back.

I eyed him curiously. "What were you just doing though? You looked…" I paused, "well I don't know what you looked to be honest, but you were definitely engrossed in what you were looking at."

"I was just doing some research on these attacks. I wanted to get my head around what we already knew before the meeting." Dimitri grabbed my hand, "come on, we're going to be late," he added before pulling me towards the door, cutting off any further questions I may have had.

When we reached the door to the meeting, Dimitri stopped abruptly causing me to nearly run into his 6'7 frame. He pulled me to the side, nodding politely at a few guardians behind us entering the conference room. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, looking deeply into my eyes. "You know I'll always protect you right?" He asked me.

"Yes of course I do, what are you talking about?" I questioned, confusion clear in my voice. Why was he saying this now? Dimitri was never one for breaking the rules or being late to things, and right now this conversation was leaving us very close to being late for the start of the meeting.

"I just mean… I've been thinking – I know I thought I was protecting you by pushing you away and being distant from you, but that wasn't right. That wasn't going to solve anything."

"Dimitri, I know that, we spoke about this, why are you bringing it up again?"

He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "I just wanted to make sure you know I'll always look out for you."

Before I could reply, he opened the door to the conference room and pulled us inside. We were a few minutes late which earned us some scowls from some of the senior guardians, but no one said anything to us which I was grateful for. I'd had enough of all the reprimands back at the academy, where I'd definitely broken a few rules and been late more than a few times in my time there.

We took our seats, choosing two towards the back of the room. I quickly looked around at my surroundings, catching Eddie's eyes at the side of the room. We both smiled at each other before turning back to the senior guardians talking at the front. Guardian Steele was leading the meeting today, alongside a female guardian who, for the life of me, I could never remember her name. They gave a brief recap of the previous meeting and then spoke about general things we needed to be aware of – none of which really concerned me so I allowed my thoughts to wonder slightly until the topic of the Strigoi attacks begun. When it did, I noticed many guardians sit up straighter in their seats – including Dimitri who generally had a pretty great posture anyway. I was afraid his spine might pop out if he sat any straighter.

"Have there been any further attacks?" A guardian I didn't know asked from the front of the room.

"None have been reported to us so far," Guardian Steele informed him, before the woman next to him added, "We anticipate that there will be one soon, however."

A few grumbles rang out across the room.

"There hasn't been a report of a new incident for a few weeks now, and I highly doubt that they've moved elsewhere or stopped their attacks. We know they've been getting closer so it's clear they're heading this way."

"Which is why we need to stop them!" A voice rang out from the side of the room. Eddie had risen from his seat and addressed the room. "We need to find out where they are coming from and intercept them before they reach us here. There are far too many lives here to risk that they might just simply pass through. This is the _royal_ court."

A few guardians nodded and mumbled their support for Eddie's argument, while others stayed silent or shook their heads.

Guardian Steele spoke up. "We currently have no way of finding out where they are going to hit next, or where they're coming from. It's just not possible for us to anticipate this and stage a pre-emptive strike on the Strigoi."

Dimitri stood up from his seat. "Do we have any Intel on who these Strigoi actually are?"

"Why? Looking to meet up with some of your old buddies, Belikov?" an arrogant looking man sneered from his seat, earning a few snickers from those around him.

I turned to scowl at him before looking up at Dimitri to check he was okay. He either hadn't heard him or he was trying hard to ignore the insult, as he appeared unfazed and still faced the guardians at the front of the room. I couldn't believe that people still had the audacity to provoke him and make fun of him for his days as a Strigoi. It's not as though he _willingly_ turned, and he already held so much resentment towards himself for his actions, so it wasn't fair at all that people still made him feel horrible. Okay, the majority of people were kind to him, but there were still a select few that were either afraid of him or felt the need to torment him – like this man here today, or the man Dimitri fought with a few weeks ago. It made my heart break that anybody could be so horrible to someone so pure and loving.

"I'm just wondering if we were able to identify any of the Strigoi? We may be able to understand their motives?" Dimitri continued. I furrowed my brows, wondering why he was so interested in who these Strigoi were. Surely it didn't matter who they were? They were monsters threatening the lives of innocent people – we just needed to know _where_ they were or _where_ they would kill next.

Guardian Steele apparently thought the same thing. "Irrelevant. The only motive Strigoi have is blood. They just want to kill and wreak havoc on those around them. It doesn't matter who they were before they were turned."

Dimitri wasn't convinced. "But –"

"No Belikov, enough. I really fail to see why it matters _who_ this group are. If you have anything solid to bring to the meeting regarding their location then please, share it with us."

Dimitri looked defeated as he sat back down in his seat. I reached over and grabbed his hand, which had subconsciously balled into a fist. He looked down at his feet and took a calming breath before lacing his hand with mine. I stroked the back of his hand with the pad of my thumb in an attempt to calm him further. I was unsure why he was so eager to find out who these Strigoi were. Had he been thinking about his Strigoi days? Was he trying to find out their identities as some sort of personal revenge, or did he just want to save them from that awful state?

The female guardian at the front shot Dimitri a look of sympathy before continuing with the meeting.

"Does anyone else have anything to add before we discuss our next steps?"

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

The whole meeting was a waste of my time and I was no closer to finding out whether these attacks and Nathan's letters were related. I had spent hours researching and cross referencing any Intel on Nathan and the recent attacks but still found nothing. Likewise, the meeting hadn't helped to shed any light on where Nathan was or what he was planning. I had hoped and prayed to God that there was a connection so that I would able to stop him before he ever laid a hand on Rose, but this was looking more and more unlikely. Maybe the attacks weren't connected to Nathan? How would I be able to find him another way? I was becoming desperate. I couldn't let him touch her; I couldn't let him hurt her. She didn't deserve any of that and I don't think I'd be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to her. I loved her so much that it hurt, and the thought of Nathan harming her in any way made my heart break in two and my stomach twist itself into a knot.

I found myself getting wound up after my failed questioning at the meeting and I walked back to the apartment in silence, my jaw clenched and mind spiralling thinking of Nathan's threats. Rose trailed behind me, struggling to keep up with my long strides, and I knew she was concerned. I hadn't been acting like myself recently and I could tell that she was beginning to realise that something was wrong. Yet, I still couldn't bring myself to tell her about Nathan. If I could at all spare her the fear and worry she would feel by finding out, then I would keep everything I knew to myself. I needed to protect her and if that meant hiding this from her then I would. I would walk to the ends of the earth for her if it meant she was safe.

No, Rose didn't need to know about Nathan yet. He wouldn't ever be able to lay a hand on her while I'm around, so I didn't see the need to worry her with this. It wouldn't come to that if I could help it at all. I would look after her at all costs.

When we reached the apartment I turned around and wrapped Rose in a tight embrace, her head leaning against my chest and arms around my waist. I needed to be close to her, I needed her to feel safe. She had told me time and time again over the years that she felt safe when she was with me, so I wrapped her in my arms to reassure her that everything was okay. I kissed the top of her head and hugged her tighter.

I would always look after her.

How I was going to find Nathan I had no idea, but as long as Rose was here with me she would be safe. She would be happy.

And that's all that mattered right now.

* * *

**Firstly, thank you so much for all the Kudos!**

**Secondly, I wanted to apologise for this chapter as it's definitely not my best work, but my motivation has dipped and I didn't really feel good about my writing. I'm hoping the next chapters will start to pick up as we're going to get into all the action soon and it won't be long before Nathan makes an appearance!**

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108**

**H x**


	10. Chapter 10

_AN: Brief section of explicit content._

* * *

**Dimitri's POV – ** _Two weeks later_

My head ached. The numerous files and pieces of paper sprawled across the table in front of me had blurred into one and I was struggling to concentrate. I needed to find something, _anything_. It had been nearly two weeks since Rose's birthday and I was no closer to finding Nathan, much to my despair. It was also becoming harder to hide the threats from Rose – the longer I looked for him, the angrier I got and the less like myself I was acting. She was growing more suspicious by the day and I was running out of excuses to keep this from her. I was beginning to think I should just cave and inform her about Nathan, but every time I was about to I backed out, knowing she would just worry. I knew also that she'd be angry at me for not telling her but it was too far gone now. How could I justify keeping something from her for a month if she ever found out?

There had been a further two attacks from the group of Strigoi – the most recent was within a mile from court. People were justifiably worried, concern permanently etched on their faces as they went about their daily lives. We had tried to reassure them that we were doing the best we could to find this group and stop them before they reached us, but this was difficult when a number of guardians were still opposed to scouting them out – citing a risk too great. I knew this was a mistake, and they would surely know it too when there are casualties on _their_ hands because they wouldn't strike first. They believed that even if we were able to find out where the Strigoi were located, fighting them would lead too many deaths.

I had to agree with that point, knowing what had happened when we retaliated after the attack at St. Vladimir's, but that didn't matter. This was our job. We were trained to defend and that meant stopping the Strigoi before they found their way into court and killed those we swore to protect. _They come first_. The wards could only do so much to keep the Strigoi out – again, look at what happened at the Academy. We needed to act.

Despite the hours I was putting in searching for a connection between Nathan and the attacks, I struggled to link the two. This group of Strigoi were good at not leaving any indication of their identities or their 'home' location at the scenes of the attacks, and Nathan's letters had no indication that he was behind the attacks either. My initial belief that the two were connected was becoming more unlikely the longer I searched.

I had received many more letters and threats from Nathan in the previous weeks, each one more disgusting and infuriating than the last. They never failed to get my blood boiling as rage coursed through my body. Currently, I had them splayed across the table just in front of me, reading over them for what felt like the hundredth time. It pained me to read them but I needed to find him – I hoped that his words would miraculously change and give me any kind of indication of where he was.

'_Belikov._  
Hope you're not keeping too close of an eye on Rose. Trying to keep her safe is a wasted effort. I will no doubt have an opportunity to see her soon.  
Nathan.'

'_Belikov._  
I was thinking yesterday just how good it is going to feel when I can finally make your girl mine. I can't wait to feel her insides around me.  
Nathan.'

'_Belikov._  
I bet she's a whore in bed. I can't wait to find out.  
Nathan.'

My heart sunk whenever I stepped outside the door and saw the god-forsaken envelopes with 'Belikov' written across the front, discarded on the door mat. They were always delivered at night, I had realised, so I had attempted to stay up until I heard the tell-tale rustling outside our door. This never worked, much to my dismay. I would stay awake for hours on end, waiting to pounce on whoever was leaving them, but they always seemed to come after I had given up, thinking that perhaps there would be no delivery that night. I was always wrong, and missed the delivery. I had resorted to waking up early instead, knowing that there would be an envelope waiting patiently for me on the doormat. I knew I had to reach it before Rose left for the day - I couldn't have her seeing the envelopes and asking questions – so I would slip out of bed earlier than usual, read the dreaded threats and shove it in the file with the others to look over later.

Just like I was doing this evening. The records room in the guardian headquarters had been my home in the evenings for the last few weeks as I tried to search for Nathan. I knew Rose was growing suspicious but I always told her I was researching the attacks – which was not a complete lie. I hoped that she believed me and wouldn't ask questions for a while, at least until I found him.

As always, my search was proving futile and I sighed to myself as I began packing up the letters, files and notes. I glanced down at my watch, and I was shocked to see how late it was. I had stayed later than usual, engrossed in my research, and it was nearing the middle of the vampiric night.

I left quickly, rushing back to the apartment. I was sure that Rose would have already gone to bed by now, but I didn't want her to realise just how late I was today. As I entered the building, I took the stairs two at a time before reaching our floor. I pushed through the door that lead to the hallway outside our apartment, turning the corner, stopping in my tracks as I came face to face with someone I hadn't expected to see.

A human.

A human that I hadn't seen since I left Russia.

I wracked my brain for his name – Oscar… Olaf…

Oleg.

Whatever his name, it certainly was _not_ good that he was here – he had been in Galina's house with us, working for us purely for the promise of being turned.

His eyes met mine and they widened in fear as mine narrowed at him. I could see the terror in his eyes as he looked up at me, clearly still afraid of me as though I was still a Strigoi. I guessed that my actions had a lasting effect on him, and though he knew I was no longer Strigoi, he was still frightened to no end.

I edged closer to him and he began backing away slowly, his hands shaking at his sides.

"Why are you here?" I growled. I had a feeling – he was here for Nathan. How he had got into court I had no idea, and I would for sure be grilling people tomorrow to find who had let him in. This was it. This was my connection to Nathan.

"I, I –" he began, his eyes briefly flickered to the mat outside our door. An envelope lay discarded on the floor. Of course.

A low growl escaped my lips and I grabbed him by the collar. He let out a yelp as I held him against the wall, the anger in my eyes pouring into his frightened gaze. I didn't care that he was a human or that he was not a real threat – he was linked to Nathan and that made him a threat in my eyes.

"You've been leaving the letters haven't you? For Nathan?"

His eyes closed tightly, unwilling to look at me, and he quickly nodded his head. Not even attempting to hide what he was doing here.

My grip on his collar tightened and his lip began to quiver. "Where is he?"

No response.

"_Where_. Is. He?" I growled.

No response.

A frightened tear escaped his closed eyes and I sighed. He was clearly not going to give up the location of his 'master'.

"If I let you go will you give him a message?" I asked. "Actually, no. That's not a question. I am going to let you go and you _will_ give him a message."

Oleg opened his eyes and looked at me before nodding. "Please, yes, I promise. Please let me go," he pleaded, a quiver in his voice.

My hands released their tight grip on him, but still held him in place as I relayed my message through gritted teeth. "Tell Nathan that Rose doesn't belong to him. He has no hold over her. If he comes anywhere near her, I will make him regret it."

"I – I'll tell him," he stammered before I let go. He scurried away, almost tripping over his feet in his hurry to escape.

As soon as he was out of sight, I turned away and made my way over to the apartment door and the envelope on the floor below it, angry at myself for staying out so late. Had Oleg been a true threat, Rose would have been alone in the apartment. Vulnerable. I wouldn't have been there to protect her. I knew she was more than capable of looking after herself, but I was too afraid to take that risk. She had hesitated when she saw me in Russia, providing me with a clear opportunity to take her. Who was to say she wouldn't make that same mistake with Nathan? He was too powerful.

I entered the apartment quietly, the silence that met me telling me that Rose was already in bed as I had suspected. I hung my duster up and took off my shoes before I leaned against the counter and tore open the envelope branded _'Belikov'._ As my eyes scanned its contents I saw there were only three words:

'_Belikov._  
Soon.  
Nathan.'

Soon.

Soon? What was soon? I shook my head and scrunched the letter up before adding it to the others in my file. Whatever 'soon' meant, it really didn't matter now that Oleg was going to give him my message. He wouldn't dare come anywhere near us knowing what I would do to him if he did.

I shoved the file back into my bag before hanging it up with my duster and making my way into the bedroom. I looked over at the bed and saw Rose sleeping soundly, a content smile on her face. My anger flared up again - I wouldn't have been here to protect her had something happened tonight. I mentally kicked myself - I shouldn't have stayed working so late.

I quickly changed out of my clothes and joined my love in the bed, wrapping an arm around her waist. I lay my head next to hers, looking over her features as she slept. "I'm sorry I'm late, Roza. It won't happen again," I whispered. She didn't stir from her slumber so I placed my lips in a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll never let anything happen to you."

I tightened my grip around her and closed my eyes, waiting patiently for sleep to take over me.

* * *

**Rose's POV**

The smell of bacon cooking woke me from my sleep. A smile crept onto my face as the smell engulfed me, my eyes opening and adjusting to my surroundings. I turned to look to my right and saw that the space in bed next to me was empty. Dimitri had already woken up and left the room, which meant that he was responsible for the delicious smells being emitted from outside the bedroom door.

"God, I love him," I sighed to myself as I pulled back the covers and rolled out of bed.

I opened the bedroom door, the sight I was greeted with making my already huge smile on my face grow wider. Dimitri stood at the cooker in his sweatpants and a t-shirt, swaying slightly to the 80's music playing on the radio as he cooked breakfast.

"Well good morning, Comrade," I chuckled as I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind.

"Good morning, Roza," He replied.

I stepped away and went to sit on a stool next to the counter. "What's all this?"

A smile crept onto Dimitri's face. "I thought I'd make you a delicious breakfast to show you how much I love you. We've got bacon, eggs and, of course, donuts," he told me, pointing to the plate of donuts at the end of the counter.

"I seriously love you" I said as I reached for a donut. I'd only been awake for ten minutes and yet I'd already said I loved him twice. God, what had I become?

Dimitri finished cooking and plated the food before joining me at the counter. We ate in a comfortable silence – I was too busy stuffing my face to engage in conversation. He really was an incredible cook and every mouthful was mouth-watering. I reminded myself that I needed to thank Olena for teaching him how to cook. He never failed to cook something that didn't result in a sound you usually heard in the bedroom escape from my lips.

"What are we doing today?" I asked as I finished my last mouthful. Today was our day off and, as usual, we would be spending the day together.

"I thought I'd leave that up to you. I haven't made any plans."

"Well whatever we decide to do, I need to shower first." A smirk took over my face as a thought entered my head. "Maybe… Maybe you want to join me this morning?" I asked him, looking up at him seductively from beneath my eyelashes.

He mirrored my smirk and I saw his eyes darken with desire. He got up from his seat and walked around the counter before crashing his lips to mine, his hands at the side of my head holding me in place. I felt his tongue brush against my lips and I willingly granted him entrance. Our tongues danced together eagerly as I pulled him closer to my body, my hands fisting his t-shirt.

* * *

By the time they reached the bathroom, they were already naked, their clothes discarded in a trail across their apartment. They hastily entered the cubicle together, a growl escaping Dimitri's lips as he watched his girlfriend bend over to start the water, exposing herself to him as she did so. She was already so ready for him.

As soon as the water cascaded down on their bodies, Rose turned back around and Dimitri pinned her against the wall, her wrists held together above her head with one hand while the other explored her body. She threw her head back against the wall as Dimitri attached his lips to her nipple, his tongue drawing circles around the bud. She let out a moan as his free hand trailed along the inside of her thigh towards her sex, causing his arousal to grow even further.

"Please…" She whispered, as his mouth continued its exploration of her body. His tongue found its way to her neck, leaving passionate kisses along her pulse point.

"Please what?" He smirked.

"Fuck," she uttered as his hand edged closer and closer to her sensitive spot. "Please touch me."

He did as she wished, two of his fingers thrusting in and out of her core as his thumb eagerly brushed her clit. Within seconds, she was trembling and crying out his name as the knot in her stomach unravelled, her walls clenching around his fingers. He released her hands from above her head and they immediately grasped at his back, clawing at him as she rode out her orgasm.

Before she could come down from her high too quickly, Dimitri removed his fingers, replacing them with his length as he thrust into her, lifting her up to allow himself better access. She cried out as her legs wrapped themselves tightly around his waist, his hands grasping her ass to hold her up as he fucked her.

His head fell against her chest as he moved in and out of her. "Fuck, Roza," he panted. "So good," he grunted.

A series of moans, cries and cusses fell from their lips as they continued to explore each other's bodies, drawing themselves closer to their releases. Their breathing picked up, their desire for each other growing more intense as his movements became more frantic. Rose could feel that her relief would wash over her soon and she tangled a hand into Dimitri's hair as the other gripped his shoulder tightly.

"Fuck, ahh, Dimitri!" She cried as her pleasure took over once more as he pounded into her, his dick brushing the sensitive spot inside her.

He followed not long after her, burying himself into her once more before he filled her, her name repeatedly falling from his lips. He stayed still inside her a moment longer, allowing the water to wash over them as they both came down from their bliss.

Once their breathing steadied, he pulled out of her slowly, before releasing her from his grasp. He quickly reached out to steady her as her legs almost gave way from beneath her when her feet touched the floor, earning a chuckle from the both of them.

* * *

**Rose's POV**

Dimitri exited the shower shortly after much more eager kissing and exploration of our bodies, leaving me to properly shower and clean myself of the sweat and clear stench of sex.

When I felt clean and ready for my day, I changed into the clothes that Dimitri had brought into the bathroom for me, tousling my wet hair over my shoulders and smiling to myself in the mirror. I was excited for the rest of the day; if it was going to be as fun as this morning was then my day would be phenomenal.

I thought.

I left the bathroom, the smile on my face falling quickly and my brow furrowing as I saw Dimitri frantically grabbing my shoes and shoving them toward me with gruff instructions to 'put them on quickly' as he turned around and grabbed our stakes.

"What's going on? What's happened?" I questioned, putting my second shoe on and following Dimitri as he ran out of the apartment.

"They're here. The Strigoi are here."

* * *

**Hey everyone! Here's chapter ten - this is probably one of my faves so far!**

**Also on my fanfiction.net account - hayles3108**

**H x**


	11. Chapter 11

Rose's POV

It was utter chaos. A group of Strigoi had somehow broken through the protective wards and made their way into court. I didn't know how many innocent people were killed before they were apprehended by guardians and their attack was halted. Dimitri had received the call shortly after the Strigoi were sighted and we both made it into the fray no longer than two minutes later, but it was enough time for them to cause some serious damage. They were fast.

Bodies flew through the air and the sound of grunts, screams and growls filled my ears as people around me risked their lives. Dimitri and I had started by fighting side by side when we joined the conflict, working together efficiently to dispatch the monsters around us. We were a deadly team, knowing exactly what the other wanted and needed as we fought alongside each other. My rapid attacks would distract the Strigoi long enough for Dimitri to lunge forward and stake them, or he would be strong enough to hold them as my stake plunged into their chests. It was as if we were working as one, our souls combined in every aspect of our lives – in love, in intimacy, and in battle.

We were insanely powerful, taking down a vast number of Strigoi within minutes, until two of them attacked simultaneously, effectively separating us as we each fought them. Dimitri was more than capable on his own, however, and I knew that I had no reason for worry to cloud my mind.

With Dimitri fighting in the corner of my eye, I focused on the battle at hand, drawing upon my expert skills to eradicate the beasts around me.

A Strigoi around my age rushed me from the side, knocking in to me harshly. My reactions weren't quick enough to block him and I stumbled, just barely steadying myself in time for his next attack. He lunged at me, baring his teeth and snarling as he reached out, his red eyes filled with ferocity. I ducked quickly out of his reach and swung my arm up, my stake slicing across his pale cheek as I did so. He let out a blood curdling screech at the pain and I used the welcome distraction to land a harsh kick to his knees, causing him to fall to the ground. He tried to stand - he was fast, but not fast enough, as I landed another blow to his stomach and he doubled over, providing me with a clean opportunity to drive my stake into his chest. His crimson eyes glazed over and he collapsed as he took his final breath.

Unfortunately, my victory was short lived as another Strigoi stepped into my path - a woman with chestnut hair and the tell-tale red eyes. Like the man before her, she reached out towards me as she lunged, but this time I managed to swiftly dodge her attack, diving behind her and pushing her to the ground. She was faster than the man, however, and managed to find her feet again, swiftly turning to face me once more. She sprung forward and her hands clawed for my neck but missed it narrowly. I was thankful I had taken the time to throw my hair into a pony tail as Dimitri and I fled the apartment, otherwise she would have been able to grab it and I would be completely at her mercy. I blocked her advances, waiting for an opening to retaliate and switch to the offense but it was proving difficult. She was obviously an older Strigoi and was therefore more powerful, stronger and faster, and she didn't make it easy for me to land any hits on her.

To my luck, just as she reached for my neck once more, another Strigoi crashed into her – stumbling backwards during his own fight – causing her to lose focus. I took my chance and dove forward, my stake barrelling towards her chest and she screamed at the impact before falling limp to the floor.

By this point I was out of breath, my chest heaving heavily as my breaths came out raspy, but there was no time to rest as another Strigoi tried his luck at taking me down. I quickly dispatched him and moved onto the next opponent without hesitation. I had no idea how many there were and they seemed to just keep coming from nowhere – it appeared that there was no end in sight. There seemed to be a horde of them but I had to keep pushing through, taking Strigoi after Strigoi to the ground.

In the near distance, a familiar face caught my eye as I struggled with my opponent in front of me. The unexpected sight of him nearly made me falter as my stomach twisted with a mixture of hate and fear. I recognised him. The malicious look in his eye would be etched into my mind for all eternity and his bright blonde hair confirmed that he was definitely who I thought he was. Nathan. The Strigoi who had stolen Dimitri's soul. The Strigoi who had taken him from me. The Strigoi who had almost killed me in Russia.

I had thought that Dimitri killed him in Russia when I tried to escape, or he would have at least killed him when he returned to Galina's house after I fled, so seeing him here threw me off guard.

Luckily the sight of him didn't distract me too much and I managed to land a killing shot on the Strigoi in my grasp before stealing a quick glance towards Dimitri fighting nearby. Had he seen Nathan? Had he noticed him yet?

I looked away just as Dimitri efficiently landed his final blow on his attacker before moving swiftly to the next one. I decided that he hadn't seen him – no doubt he'd be over there now if he had, taking his revenge on him.

I returned my attention to the action taking place in front of me, hastily bringing down another Strigoi and driving my stake through his heart with ease.

I took a moment to catch my breath and paused, waiting for my next opponent to try their luck with me, but no one came. No more red eyes looked in my direction, no more teeth snarled, and no more hands reached out to grab me. My grip on my stake was still tight and my eyes darted around quickly looking for my next threat, until I felt a hand on my back and I rapidly spun round to attack without hesitation. The person in question blocked my attack, grabbing my wrist in defence. Their dark brown eyes looked deeply into mine - Dimitri. I let out a deep breath and visibly relaxed, leaning into his embrace. It was over.

"Are they all dead?" I asked, stepping out of his hold.

"Mostly," he confirmed. "Some of them fled before we got to them."

"Then we need to go after them!" My grip on my stake tightened once more and I turned away from him, ready to follow in the direction of the Strigoi, before he placed a firm hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"We will be able to track them, Roza, but now is not the time. We need to establish security first and tend to the casualties."

He was right.

I looked around at the aftermath of the chaos around us and realised that there weren't just Strigoi bodies on the ground in amongst all the blood. There were guardians too, even some Moroi. I could see that many had already succumbed to their injuries, dying in the battle, while others were still alive, nursing more minor injuries. A sharp pain flew through my heart like a dagger as I looked around at the victims. Seeing sights like this would never get easier. My eyes scanned the wounded around us and my body filled with dread as I saw a Dhampir lying unconscious on the ground, his sandy blonde hair tainted red with blood.

Eddie.

My breath caught in my throat and I rushed over to his body, practically throwing myself on the ground next to him.

"Eddie? Eddie!"

I desperately reached out for him, praying for a response as I felt Dimitri's presence move behind me. I turned and looked into his eyes, searching for some kind of reassurance that my friend would be okay. His gaze just returned sympathy.

Eddie wasn't dead. He couldn't be. I urgently reached for his wrist, placing my two fingers on his veins as I frantically searched for a pulse. I willed myself to feel something, to feel the steady beat of his blood pumping around his body, but the tears began filling my eyes when I couldn't feel anything.

And then, I did.

"He's alive! He has a pulse!"

Dimitri's POV

"Roza, calm down," I whispered, placing my hand gently on her knee, which was currently bouncing up and down with worry.

"I can't, Dimitri," she sighed deeply, her leg still jumping. "I've known him my whole life; I need him to be okay."

I wrapped my arm around her and placed my hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles in an attempt to relax her.

"I know, Roza, and he will be. The doctor said he hasn't got any internal bleeding or anything like that, it's just a matter of waiting for him to wake up."

Eddie, along with other casualties, had been admitted to hospital shortly after the attack. Rose and I had hastily made our way to the hospital while our colleagues established that the surviving Strigoi had truly fled and while they began working on repairing the security damages. Rose hadn't wanted to leave Eddie, and in turn, I hadn't wanted to leave Rose - there would be an emergency meeting later today but until then, we would be here, waiting for our friend to wake up.

"Adrian will you sit down!" Rose exclaimed suddenly, her eyes glaring at the man pacing on the opposite side of the room.

He ignored Rose's request and continued pacing, too restless to sit down and wait.

Adrian was visibly distressed, concern for his guardian coursing through his body, worry clear on his face. Understandably, the two had become quite close since Eddie had been sworn in as his guardian, and Adrian had come to care for him deeply. His friend and guardian being admitted to hospital after a vicious attack was justifiably upsetting, and he was growing more anxious by the minute.

"Adrian, please!" She exclaimed again, her voice stern enough for him to oblige this time. He let out an exasperated sigh and sunk down onto the nearest chair, his knee instantly copying Rose's and idly bouncing up and down with worry.

We all sat and waited, the silence coating the room in a thick tension and my mind couldn't help but wander to the events of the attack. I had seen him. Nathan. In the chaos of battle I saw him through the fray and I fought fiercely to get to him. I knew why he was there – he was there for her. My suspicions had been right all along and he had been involved with the nearby attacks, slowly making his way closer to Court until he found the opportunity to strike.

And he had.

I had nearly faltered when I saw him in the distance, my fear for Rose distracting me enough to be pinned to the floor by the Strigoi I had been fighting. I had needed to use all my might to dispatch the Strigoi and scuttle out from his grasp before plunging my stake into his heart. I eagerly tried to push my way through to Nathan, to kill him before he had a chance to lay a hand on Rose, but there were too many of them. I hadn't got to him in time and he had fled. I was full of rage when I hadn't seen his body amongst the others – I had lost him again.

A few agonising hours of waiting later and a nurse emerged from Eddie's room. Adrian jumped up from his seat in a flash and he reached the woman in a matter of seconds, taking her by the shoulders as a frantic look clouded his eyes.

"Is he okay? Can we see him?" He questioned desperately.

Rose quickly stood up from where she sat beside me, striding over to where Adrian had intercepted the nurse. I followed closely behind, eager to hear what the nurse had to say. I hoped that it was more good news – the doctor had told us earlier that he hadn't found any sustainable damage and it would only be a matter of hours until he woke up. Eddie was lucky, it could have been so much worse, but fortunately he had only been knocked unconscious.

"He's fine. He's just woken up," the nurse said as she gently shrugged Adrian's hands off her shoulders.

Adrian breathed a deep sigh of relief, his tense posture visibly relaxing, and turned to make his way into his guardian's room. Surprisingly, the nurse stopped him before he had taken even one step, placing a gentle but firm hand on his elbow.

"Actually," she looked away from Adrian, her eyes landing on mine, "he said he needs to see you."

He asked to see me?

"No way, not happening! He's my guardian and I need to make sure he's okay!" Adrian exclaimed, frustration clear in his voice.

"He insisted," the nurse stated, shooting Adrian a sympathetic look as her hand tightened slightly to hold him in place. Her gaze returned to mine, "he said it's vital that he speaks to you straight away."

I could feel the confusion seep onto my face as I wondered why Eddie would insist on seeing me before he saw Adrian, his charge. He was understandably much closer to Adrian than he was to me, and without a doubt he had a deeper relationship with Rose as well, so I was unsure as to why he requested to see me first.

Unsure what to make of the situation, my eyes flitted between the nurse, Adrian and Rose as I stood debating what to do. I shot Adrian an apologetic look along with a slight shrug of my shoulders, telling him I'd try to be quick, before I headed towards the door of Eddie's room. I glanced back briefly to see Adrian frustratingly running a hand through his messy hair as Rose guided him by the arm back to his seat.

I took a breath and hesitantly pushed my way through the doors of Eddie's room, the steady beat of his heart monitor filling the silence as I moved to stand next to the bed. I felt a twinge in my chest – a mixture of sympathy and relief - as I looked at the man lying in the bed below me. His chest was deeply bruised, his breathing was staggered, and although he didn't look at me directly, I could see a number of bruises forming below his eyes also.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, hoping to convey my sympathy in the tone of my voice.

"I'm fine. They think I have a concussion so I'm not allowed to leave for a while though – they want to keep an eye on me" he informed me, still not meeting my gaze.

"The nurse said you asked for me?"

Eddie nodded slightly and brought his eyes up to meet mine before quickly looking away again. "The Strigoi –" he started before pausing briefly, "the one that did this – he knew you."

My breath caught in my throat – it was Nathan. Nathan had done this to him.

"He specifically said your name. Belikov."

Eddie clasped his hands together, twiddling his thumbs as he continued, "I thought I was dead for sure - he had me by the throat, I had dropped my stake when he rushed me and I couldn't – I couldn't do anything. But he – he said your name." His eyes met mine again. "He told me that I should find you when I woke up and tell you that he was the one that did this. He was the one that did this to me so that you would 'know he got your message'," he admitted, using his fingers as air quotes to show me that those were Nathan's exact words.

Oleg had obviously followed through with my request. Unfortunately, Nathan had done the exact opposite to what I wanted him to do. Instead of retreating, he had attacked - innocent people were killed and injured because of him.

"He said: This is what happens when you - when you try to keep them safe. He said you shouldn't bother trying. He's coming for her and – what else did he say?" he paused. "He said you – you can't stop him from getting what he wants."

I could feel my body instantly tense up as my anger soared - my shoulders tightened, my jaw clenched and my lips pursed together. This wasn't what I had wanted to happen. I had tried to protect Rose and someone else had ended up injured because of it. Why couldn't I just keep everyone safe? I had been angry that I didn't get a chance to kill Nathan there and then, and now that anger was mixed with fury from the revelation that he had nearly killed one of my friends. If only I had reached him before he fled, then this nightmare would be over.

I had no doubt in my mind that if he had been given the opportunity to take Rose today he would have – I was thankful that she hadn't seen him and kept her distance from him. She was safe. But my gratitude was short-lived, as I knew that he was still out there, plotting his next attack. He would be more than frustrated that he hadn't got his hands on her today, which would only fuel his eagerness to succeed next time.

"What was he talking about? How do you know him?" Eddie asked, breaking my chain of thought.

"I don't know," I lied through my gritted teeth. "I – I need to go and clear my mind, will you be okay?"

He nodded, "send Adrian in?"

"Of course," I replied, before swiftly turning around and exiting the room.

I needed to find Nathan. I longed for the meeting to be pushed forward so that we could plan our next steps. I would find him, killing him without hesitation. I couldn't let him bring any more harm to the people I loved.


	12. Chapter 12

**Rose's POV**

29 dead. 46 injured.

29 _dead._

46 _injured._

That was the result of today's unexpected and vicious attack.

Unsurprisingly, 'how many casualties?' was one of the first questions asked at the emergency guardian meeting, and Guardian Croft delivered the solemn news from the front of the room with a grave tone of voice.

"We lost every guardian at each possible entrance to Court. The remainder of the fatalities were mostly guardians that risked their lives during the battle. However, in the time it took for the Strigoi to be reported, a number of Moroi succumbed to the attack also."

There was a heavy air in the room as people remembered loved ones, friends and colleagues lost to the battle. As my eyes scanned the room, I could see that some were openly distraught, their eyes vacant and bloodshot from crying, while others masked their sorrow with a perfected 'guardian on duty' stare. I felt a twinge in my chest at the thought of the pain they were currently feeling - I had felt that pain more than once in my life. I sighed deeply, taking a moment to be thankful that Eddie was only one of those injured – it could have been so much worse.

A man stood up from his seat, his obvious agitation shown by the way his hands gestured wildly in the air as he spoke. "The real question is, how the _fuck_ did they get in? This is the _royal _court! Our security should have been impenetrable!"

Guardian Croft eyed him carefully before directing his attention to the rest of the room. "A sweep of the perimeter found multiple stakes driven into the ground, and all perimeter security teams mauled to death. They hadn't had a chance to radio in the sightings before they lost their lives."

"Why weren't they paying attention?! If they were at all _decent_ guardians, the Strigoi would have been stopped before they made it inside!" The man exclaimed, clearly angry at the events of the day.

"There are many ifs and buts involved, but the fact of the matter is - it happened. The Strigoi found their way inside and, unfortunately, numerous people lost their lives." The female senior guardian to the right of Guardian Croft took the moment to speak up, kindness and warmth in her tone of voice. "However, despite what happened, the response after the initial sighting was outstanding and you should all be praised for your quick reactions."

"Has the security been repaired?" Another guardian questioned timidly with a hint of worry in her voice. She looked young, a newly graduated guardian, and obviously hadn't been out in the 'real world' for very long. I guessed that she hadn't had physically seen the terrors of the world yet, and had been thrown in at the deep end with this attack. I felt for her.

"Yes. All wards were put back in place almost immediately after the attack, and we have back-up teams stationed at all perimeter entrances," the female guardian informed her, and the young woman visibly relaxed, sinking back into her seat.

"So what are we going to do now? What are we doing to _fix_ this?" The first man piped up again, clearly not satisfied with the previous answer.

"Because the Strigoi were on _our _grounds, we should be able to track them now that we know the direction in which they fled. We have appointed an expert team capable of doing this." Guardian Croft explained, his narrowed eyes showing clear annoyance at the man for interrupting again.

A young guardian with dark hair stood up from his chair. I recognised him as one of the guardians who had supported our plan to attack the Strigoi before they attacked us - that idea was clearly redundant now, though. "If we had tracked them from the previous attacks, this whole thing could have been avoided!" He practically shouted, clearly showing his distaste for the guardians at the front of the room.

"There weren't enough traces from the previous attacks to do that, that's why it wasn't approved. But they were _here_, on _our_ grounds, less than a few hours ago, and so our team should have no issues discovering where they are now."

"We could have done it before, I know we could have! The blood spilled today is on _your_ hands because you were stupid enough to disagree with our plan!" The dark haired man accused, pointing his fingers in blame.

To Guardian Croft's left, Guardian Steele grew visibly irate, speaking for the first time this meeting. "I suggest you sit back down, boy, or I will have you removed from this room."

The woman on the right shot the man a sympathetic look before facing the rest of us. "Today's attack was through no one's fault but the Strigois' and their blood-fuelled motivations," she said sternly, before returning to the topic of our next steps. I sat forward in my seat, eager to hear what was planned. "Once we have located the Strigoi and have some idea of how many there are, we should be able to formulate an attack plan. Then we can start gathering teams to converge on their location and eradicate them."

I stood quickly from my seat, my chair nearly falling backwards from the force. "I'm in, I want to help," I informed the room eagerly.

"No," a deep voice sounded from next to me, interrupting me as I volunteered.

Dimitri.

"What do you mean 'no'?" I questioned, looking down at him sat on the chair to my right.

"I mean, no, you're not going," he stated firmly, not meeting my gaze and continuing to look towards the front of the room.

"Why not? I want to go, I want to help." Confusion laced my voice as I failed to understand his reluctance.

"It's not safe for you to go."

"Of course it's not fucking safe that's the whole point!"

His gaze met mine, a stern look in his eyes which told me he was adamant. "You're not going, Rose."

"Of course I'm going – look at what happened to Eddie, they can't get away with that!"

An awkward cough from the front of the room broke our attention from our isolated conversation. The rest of the guardians in the room stared at us uncomfortably before Guardian Croft continued. "Well, either way, we won't be deciding teams until tomorrow at least, when our trackers have returned with the Intel. Once we know more, we will assign teams and formulate a plan."

I sat back down in my seat and crossed my arms, annoyed at the fact that we had to wait longer for our retaliation, but also humiliated at the fact that Dimitri had 'reprimanded' me in front of the whole room. It was as though he was my mentor again, calling me out for sneaking out of my room or being late to training practice. He was my _boyfriend _now, my equal instead of my teacher – who was he to speak to me like that in front of everyone?

I had already been confused at the way Dimitri had acted after he was called in to Eddie's room in the hospital – he had emerged with his body tensed and such a deep frown on his face that his eyebrows had practically fused into one. Something unexpected had obviously happened while he was in there and I had approached him to ask about it, but we were immediately called to the meeting and I lost the opportunity. It seemed every time we needed to have an important discussion, something got in the way. I felt like I hadn't had a real conversation with him for weeks.

And now he was acting strange _again_, stopping me from doing my duty as a guardian. I wanted to help, I wanted to go with the attack teams and abolish the Strigoi, but he was _so_ against it. We needed to have a long overdue conversation, and this time, _nothing_ was going to get in my way.

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

Judging by the look Rose was shooting me as we walked home in silence, I knew I was in trouble. Why did I have to open my mouth? I shouldn't have said what I did, at least not in front of everybody else – I should have waited until we were in the privacy of our own home before I voiced my concerns. I was just _so_ worried. Rose was willing to walk straight towards Nathan and take him on, albeit unknowingly, and I couldn't let that happen. It would be too easy. Too easy for Nathan to make good on his threats if she walked straight into his territory. The best thing would be for Rose to stay here in the safety of Court while _I_ go with the rest of the guardian teams and eradicate the Strigoi. That way, Rose is nowhere near Nathan and his malevolent clutches.

"Roza, I'm sorry, it wasn't okay for me to speak to you like that," I apologised almost immediately after stepping through the front door.

"Yeah too right it's not okay!" Rose exclaimed, slamming the door shut behind her before storming past me further into the apartment. "What the hell was that, Dimitri?" She questioned as she turned around to face me.

I opened my mouth to respond, but she cut me off before I could do so.

"I mean, _seriously_! You're not my mentor anymore, you have _no_ right to speak to me like that, let alone have any right to dictate what I do!"

"I know, Roza, but –"

"No!" She interrupted, "I've had enough! You've been acting strangely for weeks now without any explanation! What's going on with you?"

"Nothing Roza, honestly. I just don't want to risk your life like that, I don't want to lose you. I can't," I admitted, walking over to her with an attempt to wrap my arms around her, but she stepped out of my grasp before I could do so. She moved to the opposite side of the room, increasing the distance between us, both physically and mentally.

"That's bullshit, Dimitri! I'm a hell of a good guardian and you know it! I'm more than capable to do this!" Rose gestured wildly as she argued, the extent of her anger clear on her face. She was extremely mad at me and I knew it. The admission of Nathan's threats was on the tip of my tongue, ready to spill and extinguish this whole situation, but I couldn't bring myself to let it go. Instead, I swallowed Nathan's words and said nothing. I should have just told her weeks ago about this whole situation – now it was too far gone.

"I just don't understand why you are so adamant that I _don't_ go! This is my _job_ Dimitri, and yours too! Why are you so against me doing my duties as a guardian? You always used to drone on all the time about following rules, what changed?"

"I told you!" I exclaimed, feeling the beginnings of my own anger flaring up inside – anger at the situation, and anger at myself for not confiding in Rose when I should have. "I can't lose you, Roza. I love you too much to let you risk your life like that."

"What's so different about me going out _there_ and killing them, and my day to day job guarding Lissa? It's the same threat, if not more dangerous with Lissa because I have to deal with more than just Strigoi! I have to deal with those who oppose her ideas and want the crown taken off her!"

Her anger levels had risen now to the point that I was sure our neighbours could hear her shouting.

"Rose, please, try to see where I'm coming from. I almost lost you once, I can't go through that again," I pleaded, edging closer to her. She held out her hand to stop me.

"I just – I need some time to cool off. I'm going to go check on Lissa and Christian, okay? I haven't had a chance to see them since the attack."

"I already spoke to Christian earlier, he said they're fine. They were placed into lockdown when the Strigoi were sighted," I informed her, willing her to stay and fix this with me.

She shook her head sternly. "I don't doubt that, but I need to see her." Rose quickly threw on her coat, grabbing her keys from the counter and heading towards the front door.

I sighed, defeated. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No."

* * *

**Rose's POV ** _– later that evening_

Dimitri had been right. Both Lissa and Christian were placed immediately into lockdown once the Strigoi were sighted – they hadn't even had a chance to see Eddie yet in the hospital and had only heard about it from Adrian. Obviously they had been informed of the casualties – Lissa was Queen after all, and these were her people – but they hadn't been given details as to who specifically had been injured. Lissa was justifiably distraught when she had found out Eddie had been hurt and had wanted to see him, but protocol stated she was not to leave the safety of her home until all the security had been checked multiple times.

Seeing Lissa had calmed me down slightly, as it always did, and I felt much more rational than I had felt after the argument. Dimitri cared deeply for me and I could see that from the way he always worried about me. I could see where he was coming from and I understood why he had acted the way he did.

With a much more sensible and calm mind, I left Lissa's after a few hours and headed home to fix things with Dimitri. I slowly pushed open the door to the apartment and tiptoed inside. The curtains were drawn tightly to block out the sun, so I imagined that Dimitri had already retreated to bed.

I hung my coat up carefully and toed off my shoes before making my way further into the apartment, my eyes immediately drawn to Dimitri's sleeping form on the sofa. He hadn't changed into his usual sweatpants and was still wearing his clothes from the day, so it was clear to me that he had fallen asleep unexpectedly. He had probably been reading, waiting for me to return home and had finally succumbed to the stress of the day, sleep taking over him. He lay on his back, one arm placed over his chest while the other hung off the side of the sofa, his book discarded on the floor below his hand, obviously having fallen when he had fallen asleep.

I walked over to him silently, so not to wake him up. Despite the argument and my anger towards him at the minute, I still cared for him deeply and wanted him to be comfortable. I reached past him to the back of the sofa and grabbed the soft blanket that we always kept on the sofa ready for when we had a lazy day or were watching movies in the evenings. Gently laying it over him, I pushed a stray piece of his dark hair that had fallen in front of his face back, softly smoothing the pad of my thumb over his cheek. He instinctively lent into my touch as he slept and a small smile crept onto my face. We would be okay. We would fix this in the morning and Dimitri would tell me what it was that was bothering him. Then, we could work as a team, as we always did, to come up with a solution and overcome his worries. We would be okay.

After laying the blanket over him, I reached down to pick up his old western and place it on the coffee table so he wouldn't trip over it in the morning. As I bent over, I stopped in my tracks when I saw that the discarded item on the floor wasn't what I had thought it was. He hadn't been reading his book as I previously thought, he had been reading something else.

On the floor just in front of me was a file. I recognised it as the same file that Dimitri always rushed to close whenever I came into the room, putting it away before I saw its contents.

I picked it up hesitantly, anxiety creeping into my body at the thought of what could be inside. I opened it carefully, my eyes widening as I saw the contents of the file for the first time. A face stared back at me from a small rectangular photo, paper-clipped to the top of the file. A face with blonde hair and a malicious glare that I had seen only as recently as today – Nathan's face.

My breath hitched in my throat, confused. This file was about Nathan. Why had Dimitri been researching _him_ for the last month or so? My eyes further scanned the pages of the file, Dimitri's handwritten notes shedding no light on what the purpose of the file was. Until I reached a small pouch to the back of the file.

Inside, I found a number of handwritten letters, each one addressed to '_Belikov_'. I read each one carefully, shocked to find that they were all about me.

_I think I'd keep her for myself for a while…  
Please give Rose my love…  
I bet she's a whore in bed. I can't wait to find out…  
I was thinking yesterday just how good it is going to feel when I can finally make your girl mine…_

I felt bile rise up in my throat and I gagged slightly in disgust. Nathan had been sending these letters to Dimitri for weeks, these vile thoughts about me obviously echoing around his head since he met me in Russia.

And Dimitri, _Dimitri_ had the audacity to keep it from me. This was what had been bothering him, putting him in such deep thought all the time. I couldn't believe that he would have kept this from me. We were supposed to be _partners_. No matter his fears, he should have confided in me.

I held the file tightly in my hands and I kicked the sofa angrily, startling Dimitri out of his sleep as I did so.

"What _the fuck_ is this?"


	13. Chapter 13

**3** **rd** ** Person POV**

"What _the fuck_ is this?"

Rose saw red as she kicked the sofa, both in frustration and to wake Dimitri up from where he slept. At the loud and unexpected disturbance, he startled awake, almost jumping out of his skin as he sat up straight on the sofa. He blinked a couple of times, looking around at his surroundings in an attempt to work out what was happening.

"Rose?" he mumbled, as he laid his eyes on the woman standing in front of him. "What – what's going on?"

"I _said,_ what _the fuck_ is this?"

He lowered his eyes to the artefact in her hands, a feeling of dread overwhelming his body as he recognised what she was holding – Nathan's file. After the pair had argued previously in the evening and Rose had stormed out, Dimitri had needed something to do to occupy his mind while he waited for her to return. He had decided to look over the file he had been compiling, reading over his notes on the sofa until the stress of the day had finally taken its toll and he had fallen asleep, leaving the file discarded on the floor for anyone to come by and read.

Unfortunately, that 'anyone' had been Rose.

And she was _pissed._

"Roza, I –" he began, before Rose cut him off.

"Nuh-uh, don't you _dare_ 'Roza' me," she glared at him ferociously before throwing the file down onto the coffee table and pointing an angry finger in his direction. "You lost that privilege when you _lied_ to me!"

Dimitri couldn't help but recoil slightly at her words. "I'm sorry, Roz – Rose, it wasn't my intention to lie to you, I just didn't want to worry you."

"_Worry_ me?" She scoffed. "I've been worried for _weeks_ Dimitri; I've been worried about _you_ and what's been on your mind! I had no idea it was something like _this_! Why the fuck would you keep this from me?"

Dimitri felt a pain in his chest at the sight of Rose's angry expression – her eyes, which usually showed love and adoration, had a look of intense fire and rage. He stood up from the sofa, reaching out towards her in an effort to console her, but she slapped his hand away before folding her arms tightly across her chest and taking a step back from him.

"Explain," she commanded. "Now."

Dimitri sighed heavily, running a hand through his loose hair as he looked down at the ground. He wished he had told her weeks ago about the situation, but he had felt too overprotective to do so. Now he was in such a mess.

"Okay, Rose, I will - just please, will you sit down so that we can talk?"

"I'm good here, actually," she informed him, and he could swear he saw her take another slight step back away from him. She really was livid with him.

Dimitri sighed again, sinking down to perch on the edge of the coffee table before picking up the discarded file and holding it in his hands.

"I got the first one just before your birthday – about two or three weeks, I think. A letter, I mean. He spoke about wanting to do these sick and twisted things to you – he wanted to 'make you his'," his shoulders tensed as he remembered Nathan's words. "And I was angry, but I also didn't think it was really him - I thought I had killed him in Russia. After Galina, I turned on him and I swear he was dead when I left, so I thought it was some sick joke. You know how some people still act around me."

Rose nodded, but let him continue.

"And then when I got another one, I realised the threat was real. Nathan was alive and he was coming for you. It was your birthday and along with my letter, he sent you a card."

"My birthday? When I woke up and you weren't in bed…" Rose realised, remembering back to when she found Dimitri on the sofa after they had made love. Dimitri nodded solemnly.

"That's when I started to seriously look for him – remember the next day when we were late for the guardian meeting?"

Rose said nothing, but again nodded her head slightly in acknowledgement. Dimitri was glad that she was letting him explain at least, instead of interrupting him and yelling at him like he knew she had every right to do.

"I thought that maybe Nathan was involved with the Strigoi attacks, that's why I was acting strangely at the meeting. Turns out I was right, I just didn't have any evidence to prove it."

Dimitri paused to allow Rose to take in what he had confessed so far.

"More letters came, each one adding fuel to my anger towards him and my worry for you. I was scared, Rose. The things he was saying he wanted to do to you…" He trailed off as he looked down at the file in his hand, a shiver travelling down his spine. "I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you. I thought I could handle it on my own without making you worry or fear for your life. And then I thought I had made good progress in locating him when I caught the person who was leaving the letters for me…"

"Who? Who was leaving them?" Rose questioned, standing with her arms still crossed on the other side of the room, staring intensely as Dimitri spoke. If it weren't for the solemn situation, she'd have been amazed at how many words she had heard come out of his mouth – she was sure she had never heard him say so much in one go since she had met him.

"It was a human, named Oleg," he informed her.

"Oleg…" She muttered in realisation.

"Yes, that Oleg," the same one that had helped her escape from her torturous prison in Russia. "I threatened him. He was still scared of me, obviously remembering me from when I was – I was…" He didn't have to finish; she knew what he meant. She always did. "I told him to give Nathan a message. I told him to tell Nathan that if he ever laid a hand on you, he would regret it."

Rose unfolded her arms, slightly touched and comforted by Dimitri's intense need to protect her, but she still kept her distance from him across the room.

"That was last night, and then they attacked today."

Rose stayed silent for a moment, taking in everything Dimitri had told her.

Her eyes narrowed as she opened her mouth to speak and Dimitri braced himself for what she was about to say. "I saw him today. In the battle."

Dimitri nodded slowly and swallowed a lump in his throat – he dreaded telling her the next bit of information he had kept from her.

"Nathan was the one who attacked Eddie," he began. Rose's eyes widened with fear. "He gave him a message for me, like I had given Oleg. He said he was coming for you and I couldn't stop him."

"Eddie…" She uttered wistfully. "What the _fuck _Dimitri? Eddie was almost _killed_ because of you! Because you were too damn selfish and overprotective that you felt like you had to fix this on your own!" She yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

Dimitri grew angry upon hearing her words, and stood up swiftly from his seat on the edge of the coffee table. "I thought I was doing the right thing - I was trying to protect you! I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!" He yelled, throwing the file down on the table just as Rose had done earlier. "I didn't want to get anyone else involved in this mess."

"Newsflash Dimitri – this whole situation involves me too!"

"I know -"

"No, clearly you don't know, otherwise you would have told me about all of this after you got the first letter!"

Dimitri ran a hand through his hair in frustration, unsure where to go from here. They were just going round in circles. Rose just didn't understand that he had kept the situation a secret from her in her best intentions. He was protecting her.

"There's a fucking monster out there, Dimitri, coming after me!" She shouted, pointing at the front door behind her. "That isn't something you hide from me!"

"Rose, I honestly thought I was protecting you! I thought it was best that you didn't know," he pleaded desperately.

Rose scoffed and rolled her eyes, crossing her arms across her chest once more. Dimitri edged closer to her, taking a deep breath to calm his frustration.

"I swear, Roza. I wouldn't have ever let him lay a finger on you - that's why I didn't tell you about this. There wasn't any point in worrying you with something that wasn't ever going to happen." He explained with a much more composed tone of voice, in an attempt to calm Rose down and halt their argument. Unfortunately, Rose grew angrier, her voice raising and tears threatening to spill from behind her eyes.

"But he was there today, Dimitri, I saw him!" She shouted. "Is that what the meeting was about earlier, why you didn't want me volunteering to go with the others?"

He tentatively edged closer to her, his body longing to be close to hers and feel her warmth, to know that they would be okay. "If you go with the other guardians you'll be walking straight into his trap. He's waiting for you."

Rose looked up into Dimitri's dark eyes, her heart breaking at the pure look of fear in them. She could see that he was worried for her – he loved her unconditionally and she knew he would be completely broken if he was to lose her. The tears that had been threatening to spill finally broke free and a sob caught in the back of her throat. Dimitri impulsively reached out to wrap his arms around her and comfort her, willing for her to be okay, but she stopped him, pushing him away with an angry force. He stumbled from the unexpected assault, but managed to catch his balance before he toppled over.

"Roza, please," he pleaded as he hesitantly stepped closer to her again.

"No," she said firmly, her arms placed ready to push him away again if he got any closer to her. Dimitri stopped in his tracks, his hands itching to instinctively wipe away the tears cascading down her cheeks. "How could you keep this from me?" She questioned quietly. She was no longer angry to the point where she could feel her blood boiling and where she wanted to scream from the top of her lungs – she felt numb, hurt that the person she loved the most in this world had hidden something so significant from her.

She sniffed and wiped away her tears as Dimitri stared at her helplessly. She turned away from him and silently walked into the bedroom, closing the door behind her without uttering a word. He heard the quiet 'clank' of the lock turning, and realised that Rose was now shutting him out both emotionally _and_ physically. Dimitri too felt numb, the intense mixture of emotions he had been feeling taking its toll on him mentally – anger, guilt, frustration, sorrow. He resented the fact that he hadn't told Rose about Nathan straight away. Now it felt as though she hated him, resenting him for keeping such a big secret.

Dimitri sighed deeply and brushed away some of his own tears that had spilled when he saw how hurt Rose had been. He hated seeing her that way, and he hated it even more knowing that he was the one responsible.

He walked over to the bedroom door and knocked quietly, not wanting to leave things the way they were currently. He wanted to, _needed_ to, fix this. His head fell forwards and he lent his forehead on the cold wood of the door when he received no response from the woman inside.

"Roza, _please_, let me in," he pleaded softly.

His heart broke into pieces as he heard her quiet sobs from behind the door.

"Please."

"Go away."


	14. Chapter 14

**Rose's POV**

I hated arguing with Dimitri.

When we were good, we were _really_ good. I always felt on top of the world when I was with him, and I constantly had aching cheeks from how happy he made me.

But when we argued, we _really_ argued. I had hit the nail right on the head those years ago when I realised just how alike we were - he had anger buried deep inside him and he constantly fought to keep it under control. But when that control slips and we end up fighting, things can get explosive.

The two arguments we had last night were intense and left me feeling deflated. I managed to fall asleep after many hours of tossing and turning, my mixture of anger and slight feeling of betrayal preventing me from sleeping easily. I couldn't stop myself from balling my eyes out and I spent hours just curled up in the middle of the bed crying, which was really unlike me. I hated to cry, especially in front of other people and especially in front of Dimitri.

But I just had to walk away from him last night, leaving the argument hanging in the air. I couldn't stand to face him after what he did. Part of me wondered if I was overreacting, and I might have been, but I was so shocked and overwhelmed by everything. First, he acts strangely for weeks and doesn't take the time to confide in me, his partner, with what was bothering him. Second, he reprimands me in front of everyone at the guardian meeting and treats me like a child. Third, he fails to tell me that my life is in danger and has been for weeks! Not to mention the stress from the attack and what had happened to Eddie, which was already contributing to my heightened emotions.

Maybe I wasn't overreacting after all.

* * *

I lay in bed idly for a while longer before reluctantly making my way out of the bedroom. I had no doubt that Dimitri was awake and waiting out there for me. He hating arguing with me as much as I did, and he hated it even more when we went to bed without a resolution. I knew that he would be eager to resolve things with me this morning.

"Good morning," Dimitri immediately greeted me from where he lay on the sofa as I entered the room. His eyes looked tired and dreary, the result of hours without sleep clearly etched on his face.

Because I was still unhappy with him, I ignored his greeting and moved towards the kitchen to make a hot drink. I wasn't ready to converse with him just yet.

As I set out to make my drink, I instinctively grabbed two cups from the cupboard and placed them down on the counter in front of me - I was so used to making two drinks in the mornings while Dimitri cooked us breakfast that I automatically settled into my regular routine. I hesitated, contemplating putting one of the cups back and just making the one drink this morning. Sighing, I decided to bite back my pride and began making him his usual coffee anyway, albeit unenthusiastically.

Despite my current state of mind, I still loved him and I knew that bringing him his drink like usual would make him happy. I wasn't sure that I was ready to speak to him yet, but I needed him to know that I wasn't going to walk away from him – we would fix this, I just needed time. This act of kindness would hopefully bring him the reassurance that I still cared for him, despite everything. _Of course_ I wasn't going to let my anger get the better of me and break up with him for what he did - I loved him and I wanted a life with him. I was just _so_ hurt and wanted to punish him with the silent treatment.

Once our drinks were made, I picked up Dimitri's coffee, leaving mine on the counter, before heading over to the sofa. He had sat up from his previously horizontal position, his legs now over the front of the seats, elbows balanced on his knees and chin resting in one of his palms.

I placed his coffee down gently on the table next to him, meeting his eyes briefly as he gave me a soft smile - a flash of sadness appeared across his face when I didn't return it. Wordlessly, I turned away to fetch my own drink from the kitchen, stopping abruptly when I felt a hand reach out and grab mine tightly. Instantly, I felt my body relax and I let out a shaky breath. The comforting feel of his hand in mine sent an unexpected feeling of warmth through me, my body's reaction betraying my current feeling of sadness.

"Roza," he said, so quietly it was practically a whisper. Despite the lack of volume, I could still hear the heaviness of emotion in that one word.

I turned my head slightly to look at him, my eyes meeting his dejected and guilt-filled ones.

"Please can we talk?" he pleaded, his grip on my hand tightening as he felt me begin to pull away.

I sighed deeply but didn't say anything - I wasn't prepared to have this conversation so early in the day. I had planned to just leave the coffee and walk away, wanting to resolve this at another time - I still felt the anger burning deep down in my body and needed more time to reflect.

"Please."

"I don't want to speak to you right now, Dimitri," I stated emotionlessly.

"_Please,"_ he repeated. "I need to fix this."

The clear desperation in his voice and tight grip on my hand tugged strongly at my heart strings. Reluctantly, I turned to face him and sunk down onto the sofa next to him, removing my hand from his to keep a little distance between us. I met his gaze and saw the relief wash over his face at the fact that I was willing to hear him out.

"I should have told you. Weeks ago. I realise that now," he confessed, looking into my eyes with a look that I could only describe as a mixture of regret, worry and desperation. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about Nathan before. Like I said last night, I was just trying to protect you and keep you safe. But I did it the wrong way. I should have realised that you needed to know about this so that we could work through it together and put a stop to him as a team."

"I understand, Dimitri, but that doesn't mean I forgive you. You hurt me by keeping this a secret."

"I know," he said, reaching for my hand once more, holding it tighter this time so I couldn't pull away. "I don't expect you to forgive me but I just needed you to know that I was sorry. I want to make this right again."

I didn't say anything in response.

"I swear, Rose. If I could go back and tell you about it all _as soon_ as I got that first letter, I would. Please know that. I made a mistake."

I sighed. I could hear the sincerity of his words in his voice as he pleaded, and I could see the same sincerity in the depths of his eyes. He stared at me, never blinking, almost willing me, compelling me to lower my barriers and let him back in.

"I don't forgive you yet. But I will. Eventually," I couldn't hold a grudge for too long when it came to Dimitri. Believe me, I tried before, but he has such a tight grip on my heart that I can't stand to distance myself from him for too long. "Just as long as you do understand how hurt I was that you kept this from me."

"I do," he confirmed, his thumb stroking the back of mine gently.

We stayed in a comfortable silence for a moment longer, before Dimitri broke it by asking me a question.

"Are you worried?" he asked. "About Nathan?"

"No," I told him sincerely.

I had taken a lot of time to think last night when I struggled to sleep, and this was a question I had asked myself. I decided that no, I wasn't scared. I came to the conclusion that while his threats were disturbing and cruel, I couldn't help but think his main goal was to hurt Dimitri. To make him worry for my life as he pictured Nathan doing unspeakable things to the woman he loved most in this world. Besides, if Nathan had truly wanted to take me, surely he would have when he had the opportunity to during the attack. If he was determined enough, he could have fought to get to me and apprehended me during the fight. Why bother with Eddie if he wanted to get to me? Because he wanted to torture Dimitri.

"I don't think he is a threat. I think he just wants to worry you and make you think he's one." I told him. "I can hold my own in a fight - I wouldn't let him get to me. But if he did, I know you'll always be there to protect me. Even if you did do it the wrong way this time."

Dimitri chuckled. "I am sorry, Roza."

"I know, Comrade. You already said that." I removed my hands from his and snaked my arms around his neck in a warm embrace. His arms immediately moved to grasp my waist and pull me as close to him as possible. Yes, I was still unhappy with him, but I had to admit that being wrapped in his arms made me feel a lot better.

"Speaking of Nathan –" I uttered before pulling away from his embrace and lacing my fingers with his once more, "I know you're worried but I want to help. I want to go with the others to kill the Strigoi. I can't let them get away with what they did."

"But Nathan –"

"I know." I stated, interrupting his protests. "I know he's going to be there. I know he's after me. But, now that I _do_ know, I'll be prepared. He won't be able to get to me," I promised, squeezing his hand in reassurance.

Dimitri looked away from me and stared down at the floor, taking a deep breath. Something clearly bothering him on his mind.

"I don't want to lose you," he told me.

"You won't."

His eyes met mine again, his gaze filled with deep concern. "Roza, I _keep_ losing you. I've nearly lost you multiple times already and each time I do I feel my heart break into a million pieces. I don't think I can handle losing you again."

My brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean you've lost me? I'm right here, I always will be. You don't need to worry about me."

"Four times. I've nearly lost you four times already," he explained, a look of sadness etched into his features.

My confusion deepened, but luckily he began to explain before I had to ask what he meant again.

"Back at the Academy, before we - before the cabin," he started. "You were so cold."

I realised he was talking about the incident that had occurred just before I gave him my virginity, when my rage took over me so badly I had attacked Jesse and had to be dragged away from the scene, all the while shouting and screaming at Dimitri to just let me kill him. I shuddered at the bad memory.

"When I look into your eyes I can always see so much character, so much warmth, but in that moment - they were dark. Cold. They weren't yours. And I was so scared for you Roza – the darkness took over you completely and I thought I had lost you." He squeezed his eyes shut briefly to compose himself. "I cannot describe the relief I felt when you came back to me."

He took a deep breath and continued. "And then here at Court, when I was restored, my hatred towards myself and what I did to you held me back from embracing our love. I pushed you away because I was so scared of the way I treated you. When I think back to the way your face looked when I said those words to you… My heart breaks."

I knew the words he meant. I had replayed them over and over again in my mind. _Love fades, mine has._

"I could have so easily lost you then. You have no idea how grateful I am to you for taking me back into your arms again."

I smiled softly, knowing there was no question about what I did. I would always take him back in an instant.

"The third time was when we came back to Court after we found Jill and Sonya, when Tasha shot you," he stated. "I was distraught. I don't think I said a word to anyone the entire time you were in the hospital. I didn't eat. I barely slept. Imagining a world without you in it… I was inconsolable."

Shortly after I recovered, Lissa had told me how hysterical Dimitri had been when he saw me lying there, lifeless, surrounded by a pool of my own blood as I took my 'last' breath. She described the agony on his face as the animalistic wails escaped his throat. The sight of my motionless body had sent Dimitri, usually composed, stoic and brave, into a frantic, sobbing mess. She told me of the resistance he put up as the guards tried to drag him away, screaming at them to let him go and calling out my name, pleading me to wake up.

Thinking of him in that state had killed me.

"But, you pulled through. You came back to me again and I still thank God every day that you're alive, that you're here with me right now."

He shifted closer to me on the sofa, our hands still interlocked as he turned his body towards mine so that he could look at me more easily.

"But then I almost blew it again. Because I let my anger and my hatred take control of me once more. I pushed you away because I couldn't stand the thought of hurting you. But I realised that was a mistake and, miraculously, you forgave me. You came back to me _again_ even though I didn't deserve it." He paused, allowing me to take in everything he said. "That's four. Four times I thought I lost you and four times I found you again. But now – with Nathan coming for you… I could so easily lose you again. I can't. I can't do it anymore."

I could hear his voice almost breaking as he spoke, and he disconnected our fingers before burying his face in his hands. There was such a raw emotion and I could see just how worried he was, but I was persistent. I knew I needed to fight.

"I understand, Dimitri. I know why you're reluctant to let me fight. But I didn't become a guardian for nothing – this is my job." I stated.

He lifted his head from his hands and nodded, showing me that he understood, as he let out a shaky breath.

"But it's not about me anymore" I told him adamantly. "Forget Nathan, forget the threats. It's about those innocent people that were killed yesterday, the people in hospital right now. Eddie. They didn't deserve any of this. They managed to get into Court just yesterday. If they got in here again, think about how many more people might die. How many more innocent bystanders will lose their lives? What if they got to Lissa? It's not about me now, Dimitri. They come first."

He stared at me for a moment and I could almost see the millions of thoughts whirring around inside his mind, the cogs turning behind his eyes. This was thoughtful Dimitri, contemplative Dimitri, the Dimitri who always thought things through carefully before acting. I could see the internal battle going on in his mind - the battle between his duty as a guardian and his love for me. I just hoped he held enough trust in me as a guardian to be able to carry out my job and come back without a scratch. I was a damn good fighter and he knew it – he trained me after all – but I also knew just how scared he was to lose me. His love and fear obscured his knowledge that I was a capable guardian – I would be fine.

Finally, he sighed and closed his eyes tight, obviously coming to a conclusion. He nodded his head slowly as he opened them again.

"Okay, Roza."

* * *

"Our tracking team have located the remaining Strigoi about 36 miles from here."

Guardian Hans Croft stood at the front of the room with a map displayed next to him. The team of guardians sent to locate the Strigoi after the attack had returned back to Court a few hours ago, rich with information.

"They were tracked to a series of caves set within a mountain range just west from us."

Guardian Steele interjected from his seat next to Guardian Croft. "How do we know they're still there? Surely they would have moved on from there by now, when the sun set?"

A quiet murmur of agreement spread across the room, people unconvinced of the information they were receiving.

"It's been confirmed that they're still there. Our team had sight of them not long ago." Croft explained. "Why they haven't moved on yet we are unsure of. They might know we're coming for them and believe they'll be able to kill us all when we get there, or they might be planning another attack on us here, we just don't know."

_I know._ I thought, from my seat near the back of the room. _They're probably waiting for me_.

"The reasons behind their attacks are unclear, but that isn't what matters right now. What matters is we move quickly to eradicate them." A further senior Guardian at the front stated, and another murmur of agreement rang out.

"We will have 3 main strike teams, each with at least 15 guardians, plus a reserve group of 10 to serve as back up in case we have underestimated their numbers, but I think 45 of us will be more than enough. We believe the majority of the Strigoi were killed here at Court."

I sat forward in my seat as Hans began allocating teams for the attack, assigning guardians to their group. Dimitri straight away volunteered, and I wasn't surprised - I knew he was going for Nathan. Names were called from the front of the room by the senior guardians, and around the room Dhampirs gave their nod of agreement to joining the mission.

As more and more names were called, and teams created, I began to wonder whether Dimitri had somehow managed to convince them to not allocate me into a team, or whether they were just simply deterred from doing so because of the awkward incident at the last meeting. I could feel my anger ignite slightly as the possibility of me assisting with this operation became slimmer and slimmer as the teams continued to be assigned.

"So that's one, two, three, four –" Hans counted aloud as he scanned the lists of guardians quickly, checking the numbers. "- thirteen, fourteen. We need one more for this team, would anybody care to offer?"

I turned eagerly to Dimitri, meeting his slightly worried stare. I didn't have to say anything - I knew my gaze was conveying what I wanted it to: _I want to help._

He sighed deeply and nodded, although I knew it was reluctantly. I nodded back to him and stood up swiftly from my chair.

"Me. I want to help."


	15. Chapter 15

**Nathan's POV:**

Life is a funny thing.

You're born, you grow, you work, you reproduce - you die. Years and years of meaningless drivel living for everyone but yourself, until one welcome day when death awaits. Unless, of course, you were one of the lucky ones.

Like me.

I lived for no one. I lived for myself. For blood. For power. And I had the privilege of living for all eternity.

But what good is immortal life if you have no one to spend it with?

It gets lonely. You try to fill the void with prostitutes, drunken nightclub sluts that have no idea what's coming to them, even those who _willingly_ give themselves to you, hoping you'll turn them to be just like you straight after.

But it's not enough. It's never enough.

Not when you've tasted what you _could_ have, only to have her taken away from you instantly by some Russian _prick _that didn't realise his time with her was running out. I wanted her. I _needed_ her. And _he_ got in my way.

I had this irresistible, gnawing want and an alluring compulsion to satisfy my primal need, and I knew my desires could only be nullified by _her._ I wanted her body wrapped tightly around mine. I wanted to own her. I wanted to show her that she was mine. She didn't realise it now, but she would eventually. She would realise exactly what she was missing out on and she would beg me to make her scream. She would beg and plead for me to change her. And I would, eventually – once I had enough of her weak, Dhampir body. _Fuck,_ I could barely contain my excitement at the thought of our Strigoi bodies moving as one, our heightened senses increasing our pleasure ten-fold.

Luckily, I knew I wouldn't have to wait much longer.

They would be here soon, in retaliation for the crimes we committed on their grounds, and with them would be Rose. I had no doubt about it.

And I would finally have the opportunity to take what I want.

* * *

I stood flush against the cold wall, the dark shadows concealing me enough that I knew I would be hidden from sight. The distant cries and grunts of battle informed me straight away that the guardians had arrived, and I eagerly awaited their breakthrough into the chamber of the cave. They thought they had been clever, sending a team to track and locate us, as if that hadn't been my plan all along. Would I really be that careless to let them find us if I hadn't wanted them to?

With adrenaline beginning to pump around my veins, I felt my blood lust magnify and I could sense the urge arising to rush out from my concealed position towards the fight already taking place. I knew I had to wait though - I couldn't allow myself to be seen until I had her in my own sights. I couldn't risk distracting myself enough to let her get away again.

My gaze was immediately drawn to her as her team ventured further into the cave, emerging into the chamber where I was hidden. She looked glorious. She had her long, thick hair tied up high and she was dressed all in black, the tightness of her clothing hugging her curves nicely as she fought with the first few Strigoi that approached her. Back when I had seen her in Russia, there had always been an element of fear and terror in her eyes, yet here, she was fierce. If she was scared, she didn't convey it. Her emotions were concealed with a strong look of determination as she grappled with her opponents to dispatch them, working her way deeper into the cave.

My men had been ordered not to kill her - they could try their luck, sure, but under no circumstances could they take her life. I'd been clear in my orders - distract, apprehend, but do not kill. And they were doing just that. She was too preoccupied with those that got in her way to notice me lurking just beyond her. She was close enough now that she should have been able to see me, despite the dark cloak of the shadows around me, but her concentration was clearly in the immediate fight ahead of her.

It seemed that not everyone was oblivious to my loitering, however, and one plucky guardian sought me out in the shadows. I could feel his eyes land on me just before he lunged from my right periphery, breaking me out of my concentration on Rose. I turned on him quickly, giving him a harsh shove into the wall beside us. The impact stunned him, allowing me an opportunity to grab him by the neck. It only took one hand to wrap around his throat, crushing his airway. Thanks to my sources, I knew almost every guardian who would be on the raid, yet it seemed I couldn't recall who this man was. It didn't matter though - he wouldn't be around long enough for me to care.

He struggled in my grip and stupidly dropped his stake, clutching at my arm in an attempt to pry me off him. It was a futile effort. I could see the panic in his wide eyes as he realised the end of his life was nearing, and he began to choke and wheeze under my hold. Not two seconds later, his body fell limp and I effortlessly tossed him to the ground, turning away to resume concentration on my prize.

The shadows around the edge of the walls enclosed me once again, and I used this to my advantage as I watched her work her way through the battle with ease - my team were dropping like flies with a single thrust of her stake. I had expected more from my warriors, and yet they were falling too quickly. I didn't care – they were only pawns used to carry out my plans. Losing them only meant she was encroaching on me faster and I knew that I would have her soon.

Another of my men stepped eagerly into her path, his arms reaching out to grab her. She was quick, and dodged his attack swiftly. _Good girl_.

As he lunged again, she used all her strength to block him and push him back, causing him to fall harshly to the floor. Without hesitation, she brought her stake down to his chest and with one blow, he was dead.

She hadn't noticed the woman approaching her from behind, however.

I knew this woman - I had turned her myself not long after I returned to America. Her name was Helena, and she had been human. I found her cornered in an alley one night, about to be assaulted by a group of young men. I remembered how her terror-filled eyes lit up with hope as I approached, thinking I would be her saviour. She was right in a sense – only, after destroying her attackers, I turned on her. I remember she tasted delicious. I had only meant to drain her, to leave her body lying lifeless in that alley, but something in me told me to turn her. Perhaps it was her likeness to Rose that called out to me – the mixture of her tanned skin and dark hair reminding me of the woman I desired so badly.

I had played with her for a while – she was mine and I was hers – but, as usual, it wasn't enough. I needed the real thing. I needed Rose.

Judging by the sheer determination on Helena's face, I knew that she was going to disobey my orders. She was going to kill Rose – out of pure blood lust or jealously, I couldn't tell.

She pounced without warning, knocking Rose over before she could even stand up from her last kill. They grappled together on the floor and I could see Rose quickly becoming overpowered, her neck exposed to Helena's snarling teeth.

My hands balled into fists with anger and I was about to intervene before she could sink her teeth into her glorious neck, but to my luck, she was pushed off her – a Dhampir stumbling backwards from his own fight had knocked into them. Using the distraction to her advantage, Rose took the opportunity and threw the entirety of her body weight on top of Helena, pinning her to the floor before burying her stake in her chest.

I growled deeply. That was too close. Far, far too close. I had to move quickly now - I wouldn't miss the chance to take what I want. Scouting the area once more, I checked how many guardians were left in the vicinity, looking out for one in particular. Belikov.

To my delight, he was nowhere to be seen – he had obviously been assigned to another team, effectively separating him from his 'love'. He couldn't protect her here.

This would be easy.

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

Sweat dripped down my face and drenched my body as I grappled with, what I hoped was, the last Strigoi in the area. We were surrounded by an ocean of bodies, both Dhampir and Strigoi, and we had already taken out at least 30. God knows how many the other teams had encountered in the other section of the cave.

We had taken out the majority of the Strigoi in our assigned area quite quickly, and I was beginning to panic when I realised I hadn't seen _him_ yet – Nathan. I only hoped that Rose hadn't either. I had practically begged and pleaded with Guardian Croft to place Rose and I in the same team but he had refused, stating that it would be a 'conflict of interests'. I suppose he was right in a sense – had Rose and I been placed together on this operation, my concentration would be entirely on her, especially knowing that Nathan was here somewhere. He had been clear to me that he wouldn't give up easily, not until he had her in his arms, and I knew that he would try anything to get to her today. I prayed to God that he had been killed before he found her. I only wish it had been me to do it.

The Strigoi I was fighting feigned an attack to my left, but I saw his plan ahead of time and retaliated hastily, blocking his approach with ease. I lunged, and my stake found its way into his chest, digging deeply into his heart. He let out a choked scream and his eyes widened before clouding over, dropping lifelessly to the ground.

I waited, stake poised for further attack, but none came. The cave was silent, give or take a few heavy breaths and panting – the Strigoi had been eradicated. I bent forward, resting my hands on my knees to catch my breath after the intense fight. Soon after, I felt a hand on my back and I looked up to see Guardian Croft standing in front of me, out of breath and flustered as well.

"Come on - outside," he said between breaths. "Roll call. We'll survey the damage and then return for any bodies."

I nodded and took a breath before standing up straight to head outside. A sudden feeling of dread arose within me at the prospect of seeing who had survived. I wondered how many of us had perished and how many had been injured. How many were lucky enough to make it through the battle?

As the remainder of my team made our way back through to the opening of the cave and into the open air, my mind was fixated on Rose and I could feel my mind spiralling. Was she safe? Had Nathan got to her? I had to remind myself that she was capable - she was a good fighter and I knew she would have it in her to survive unscathed.

My eyes scanned the area as we emerged into the open and I realised we were the first team to make it out. Guardian Croft's eyes immediately began scanning our group to identify who had been left behind, and a quick count of our group told me that we had only lost two guardians in the battle so far, which gave me hope that our losses weren't too great across all three teams. With a calming breath, I turned away from the huddle and fixed my eyes on the entrance to the cave, waiting for the rest of the guardians to emerge. I felt my heart beat harshly in my chest as I waited, and I hoped I would soon see my Roza come strolling out towards me, not a scratch on her beautiful face.

I held my breath as I saw faint movement in the shadows of the cave before the second group of guardians made their way outside. My face dropped as I saw Guardian Steele leading the group – Rose hadn't been in his team.

_Come on Rose, where are you?_

Guardian Steele's team had taken a significantly greater hit than we had, with only ten of them surviving. They had lost five. I felt a familiar ache in my chest as I thought of their families and how they would react to the news when it reached them. I knew my Mama would be devastated – hell, she _had_ been devastated when Rose came bearing the news that I had been turned. I could only imagine that it would be the same for those lost today.

Ignoring those around me, I began pacing as we waited for the final group to join us, my anxiety increasing at the thought that perhaps _none _of them had survived and we were waiting out here for no one. No – Rose would be fine. She was tough. She would be okay.

God, why hadn't I insisted she stay back at Court?

After an agonisingly long wait, we could finally hear voices growing louder as the final team made their way to the opening of the caves. I held my breath as I waited.

_Please, Roza, be there._

My eyes scanned the group as they emerged, looking for the only person that mattered right now, my breath catching and my heart sinking into my stomach when I couldn't see her. The rest of her team avoided eye contact with me and I knew something was wrong.

No.

This wasn't happening.

My legs took off towards the cave once more and I pushed my way past the group of guardians, ignoring the shouts behind me telling me to stop. I couldn't stop. She was in here somewhere. Why wasn't she outside?

"Roza!" I called as I frantically ran through the chambers to where I knew her team had been allocated. "Rose?!"

As I emerged into the furthest chamber, I desperately began scanning the bodies strewn on the floor. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. Please, God, she couldn't be.

I searched the sea of bodies and I was briefly thankful to see that my eyes only met the pale skin of Strigoi - besides one male guardian's body lying limp towards the back of the cave.

But Roza wasn't here. I could feel the panic within me rise further and I began to hyperventilate, my body shaking with a mixture of anger, fear and worry. She had to be somewhere – she wasn't dead. But if her body wasn't here amongst the others then that could only mean one thing.

Fuck.

_Where was she?_


	16. Chapter 16

**Dimitri's POV**

"This isn't fair! She's my best friend. I'm going to say something to him - I'll _make_ him agree to search for Rose," Vasilisa whined from the sofa in mine and Rose's apartment. "I'm the _Queen_, he has to listen to me, surely?"

"Ultimately, Hans has the final say in regard to Guardian matters," Abe informed her through gritted teeth as he paced around the living room. "What he says goes, and he doesn't think it's worth the risk. To risk more lives for _one_ person, right Dimitri? That's what he said?"

From where I sat opposite Vasilisa, my body tense and mind deep in thought, I barely registered my name being mentioned. My head swirled with thoughts of Rose, the attack and Nathan – a number of profanities in both English and Russian caught up in the mix also.

"Son?"

"Dimitri?"

"Hey!" Christian yelled, breaking me out of my trance.

My head snapped up instantly at the sound of my charge shouting – Guardian reflexes.

"Sorry," I uttered with a small cough, "Excuse me, what were you saying?"

Abe looked at me with a mixture of sympathy and a look of worry that matched my own. "Croft. Hans. He said he didn't want to risk looking for Rose, right?"

"Oh. Yes," I confirmed with discontent clear in my voice. "He justified it by saying that we lost too many tonight already. He thinks we'll lose more if we go back and search for her and it's not worth it, even if she is the Queen's Guardian."

My thoughts flitted back to the _very_ heated conversation I had with Croft and the rest of the team after I discovered Rose was missing from the caves. I'm surprised any of us made it through the conversation without throwing a punch, considering how frantic I had been. I barely remembered the journey back to Court as I was shouting and bargaining with them the whole time, for once not caring about my 'Guardian mask'. I couldn't believe they wouldn't search for her. She couldn't have gone far – she had to be near there somewhere.

And it was Rose.

_Rose_.

We _had_ to look for her.

"I just don't understand why it was Rose that was taken," Lissa muttered, leaning closer into Christian's side, not bothering to control the tears spilling over her eyes.

"Rose is more than capable of defending herself, she wouldn't have allowed herself to be overpowered," Christian replied.

Soon enough, I drifted back out of the conversation, my mind barely registering what was being said once more.

"_Well I'm going to speak to someone, they'll have to do what I say when I remind them just what I am capable of."_

"_Mr. Mazur, that's not going to help anything."_

"_Has anyone spoken to Guardian Hathaway yet? Does she know?"_

"_Shit, not yet. I'll have to phone her."_

"_Is there any way I can overrule Guardian Croft's decision?"_

"_Why would they have only taken Rose?"_

"_How could they have taken her without anyone seeing them escape?"_

"_Do you think – Do you think they...?"_

"_No, Liss, don't think about that."_

I needed to do something. Anything. My Roza was missing, and I knew _exactly_ who had taken her, even if I didn't know _where_ she was. I dreaded to think how frightened she must be feeling, or what she was going through right now.

No.

I wouldn't let myself think about that.

Closing my eyes tight and taking a breath, I prepared myself for what I was about to say next.

"It was Nathan."

As my words cut through the conversation, the chatter ceased and all heads turned to look at me.

"What was that, son?" Abe asked.

"It was Nathan," I repeated. "He took her."

They all seemed confused, their eyes narrowed as they looked at me. No one said anything, obviously expecting me to continue.

Vasilisa shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. Who's Nathan?"

I inwardly groaned. Of course - no one in this room had met or even heard of Nathan before so they had no idea who or what I was talking about.

"Nathan - Nathan is the Strigoi who turned me back at the Academy," I confessed through gritted teeth. "He was there in Russia. With Rose and I. And he was there today."

"And you're saying he took her? How do you know?" Abe asked.

I sighed and closed my eyes briefly before retreating to the bedroom to fetch the folder that stashed all of Nathan's letters from the recent weeks. When I returned with the file, I took a deep breath and handed them to Abe wordlessly, preparing myself for what was about to come. This was my fault and I knew it. Rose was gone because of me.

I should have told her sooner about Nathan, I should have told _anyone _about those letters. I shouldn't have let her go to the fight today either – I knew it was a bad idea. I should have been persistent and made her stay behind, even if it meant she would be mad at me. Maybe then she would have been safe. I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been. I thought I could protect her and yet, where was she now?

Gone.

I watched as Abe read the file and the letters silently. His expressionless face gave nothing away regarding what he was thinking or feeling. After he read the last one, he closed the file carefully and placed it down gently on the coffee table, before silently walking over to the window. He stood and looked out across the grounds outside, still without having uttered a word. I desperately wanted to know what he was thinking, but he gave nothing away.

Vasilisa broke the heavy silence. "What's going on?"

There was no response.

"Abe?" I questioned, unable to stand the tension any longer.

He spun round to look at me unexpectedly, with a burning rage in his eyes. He stormed over and squared up to me menacingly, despite the difference in our heights.

"You're telling me you knew about all this?!" He exclaimed, jabbing a finger into my chest. "You're telling me this psychopath has been threatening my daughter for weeks and you didn't do anything about it? Where is my daughter Belikov?!"

"Didn't do anything about it?! I was protecting her! I tried to track him down but he didn't want to be found! Not until _he_ was ready it seems."

His eyes grew darker and he took a step closer in my direction, almost closing the gap between us entirely.

"Not good enough," he practically growled. "My daughter is gone, and it's _your _fault."

"Can someone please tell me what's going on? My best friend is missing and you're not telling me anything!" Vasilisa exclaimed suddenly from the sofa, clearly irritated at being left out of the conversation.

Abe scowled at me and crossed his arms, his narrow glare daring me to explain my failure to the rest of the room. I sighed and looked away, moving to stand in front of the Queen and my charge, as Abe returned to the window, refusing to even look in my direction.

"Nathan was the Strigoi that turned me back at the academy, and I ended up working with him in Russia," I began. "When I uh, _kidnapped,_ Rose, he wasn't happy and tried to convince me to kill her. Then, one day, I walked into Rose's room and he was there. He was trying to touch her."

I saw Abe's hands clench into fists and Lissa's eyes widened. Even Christian became tense. If they were shocked by that admission, I only hoped they never found out the specifics of how _I_ had treated her. I knew they had heard the rumours, and they knew I treated her badly, but I'm glad they didn't know exactly what had happened or I'm sure they wouldn't be in this room with me right now.

"I walked in before he could take advantage of her and we fought. Since then it appears he's been obsessed with her." Judging by the expressions in this room, I could tell they were becoming more and more frightened as the story went on, yet we were barely half way through. They hadn't heard the worst yet.

"He's been sending me letters, threatening me and telling me what he wants to do to her."

"What does he want with her?" Christian asked tentatively, his arm tightening around Vasilisa's shoulders.

"You don't want to know."

"And you think he was there today? He took her?"

"I _know _he was there," I informed them, taking a moment before I made my next confession. "He was here at court, when the wards failed. He was the one that attacked Eddie."

A quiet gasp escaped Vasilisa's lips.

"He threatened him, and told him to give me a message. He said he was coming for her."

"Did Rose know about any of this? Surely she wouldn't have gone today if she knew?" Vasilisa questioned, confusion clear across her features.

Abe scoffed from his position at the window and I lowered my gaze to the floor, suddenly fascinated by my shoes.

"She didn't know. I didn't tell her."

"Why not?!" Vasilisa exclaimed, clearly angry at my lack of judgement. I knew exactly how she was feeling - I was angry at myself, too.

"I thought it was best that she didn't know. I didn't believe the threat was real – not until what happened with Eddie, at least. But, she found out, we argued, and she convinced me to let her go today."

"You shouldn't have let her. You should have insisted."

"I _know_, I tried." I pleaded. "You know how Rose is though, once she has her mind set on something, she won't give up."

I saw Abe nod slightly as he turned away from the window. His arms were crossed and a look of pure distaste was painted on his face, showing me he was clearly holding me responsible for the disappearance of his only daughter. Vasilisa and Christian sat in silence side by side on the sofa, evidently dumbstruck by this evening's events.

None of us knew what to say and an awkward silence filled the room. Emotions were high and it was clear we were all deep in thought and preoccupied with worry for our Rose.

"Hey guys!" A loud voice called out excitedly as someone entered through the front door of the apartment.

Adrian.

"Good news - they're letting Eddie out tonight! I went to your place, Lissa, but no one was in so I figured you'd be here, after the raid earlier. I'm going to go and see him now but I wanted to come and see my favourite people on my way!"

He made his way further into the apartment, stopping short when we all came into view.

"Woah," he mumbled, furrowing his brows at us in confusion. "What's going on? You can cut the tension with a knife in here."

"Adrian, Rose is missing," Vasilisa informed him, with tears in her eyes. "She was taken in the attack."

Shamefully, I looked away from where he was standing, but not before I saw his eyes flick to mine and narrow in anger.

"You!" He shouted, storming in my direction and squaring up to my chest. "You're supposed to protect her! Where? Where is she?!"

"I don't know where she is! Get the _fuck_ out of my face Ivashkov!" I yelled back, my anger getting the better of me. I knew they all blamed me, and I did too, but arguing and placing blame wasn't going to bring Rose back. I'd had enough of them all judging me and not focusing on what was important – how we were going to find Rose.

I turned to walk away from him and lent back against the wall, refusing to explain about Nathan for what would be the third time. I'd had enough.

Vasilisa repeated all that I had confessed earlier, bringing an obviously irate Adrian up to speed.

"She went missing during the attack earlier today, and the Guardians don't want to search for her," Abe added.

"Screw that - _I'm_ going to go look for her, obviously cradle robber over here can't do his job properly." Adrian practically growled, turning away to head out of the apartment.

"What do you mean look for her? You heard him, even the guardian's aren't doing that," Christian queried.

"No, but I have other means."

"What do you – oh. Adrian, no. You can't, you'll have to come off your meds to do that!" Vasilisa exclaimed. "Are you sure? What about the darkness?"

"I don't care," he informed the room, turning back towards us all. "If it means finding rose, I'll go crazy any day of the week."

With a final glare in my direction, he stormed over to the front door and slammed it behind him as he left, leaving us all to sit in a tense silence once again.


	17. Chapter 17

**TRIGGER WARNING - Sexual abuse and rape towards the end of this chapter. Don't read on if you're not comfortable reading it.**

* * *

**Rose's POV**

Fuck.

My entire body ached. Every single one of my muscles seemed to be screaming at me and my throat felt like it was being strangled, but without a doubt my head felt the worst. It was pounding and throbbing, giving me one of the worst headaches I'd ever had in my life.

Stirring from unconsciousness, I struggled to open my eyes and observe my surroundings. It was as though my mind had woken before my body, and I didn't have a clue where I was. Straining my ears, I tried to listen for clues in the environment that gave away where I was. Unfortunately, I heard nothing. Silence. Where was I?

I could barely remember what had happened.

I remembered fighting. There were waves of red eyes coming at me, my stake shooting out and destroying them one by one.

What had gone wrong?

Fuck.

I remembered _him_. I hadn't seen him for the majority of the battle, presuming he was in another section of the cave, until suddenly he was there, leering down at me, and…

I hesitated.

Again.

_Fuck._

* * *

Finally regaining my control over my body, I tried once more to open my eyes. Once I did, I saw that I was alone and I breathed a sigh of relief at the revelation Nathan wasn't here with me. I was slumped alone on the floor, my back against the cold wall in a corner of a small room.

The room itself seemed pretty ordinary despite the lack of colour – everything was grey. Dark and grey. There were no windows, but my Dhampir eyes made up for the lack of light and I could still see my surroundings clearly. Not that there was much to see, however. A small wooden cabinet in one corner and a double bed in the centre. That's all there was.

Attempting to get up from where I was sat on the floor, I tried to lean forward, confused when my movement was restricted. Chains bound me by the neck, keeping me attached to the wall behind me. The strangling sensation I had been feeling made sense. I tried to reach my hands up in an attempt to remove the chains, until I noticed that my hands were tied together as well. _For fuck sake!_ My movement was limited, and I knew that there was no chance of escaping even if I tried.

My heart was pounding in my chest. Why the fuck was I here? What did I do wrong? I should have listened to Dimitri and stayed behind at court and then I wouldn't be in this mess. Or I just shouldn't have been so fucking _pathetic_ and not allow myself to hesitate when I realised Nathan was there right in front of me.

The words of Nathan's letters began swirling around inside my head, and I could feel my anxiety and fear creeping up on me. Nathan had finally taken me, just like he said he would. He hadn't exactly minced his words when detailing what he wanted with me, and now I was here. I had no doubt that he would at least attempt to fulfil his wishes while I was held captive.

_Dimitri must be frantic,_ I thought. I knew that he would have gone crazy when he realised I was missing, and I knew he would be blaming himself also. He had tried so hard to protect me, and to him, this was failure. I was gone. I should have just listened to him…

Lost in my thoughts, my head snapped up as I heard the lock disengage in the door, and a familiar face crept into the room.

"Well hello, Gorgeous!"

Nathan.

Not wanting to humour him, I looked away, subconsciously backing further into my little corner of the room.

"I said hello, the least you could do is smile at me."

"Fuck you," I growled through gritted teeth.

"Now, now, Rose. No need for that. You don't want to get on the wrong side of me or your pretty face won't be pretty for long," he threatened, edging closer to where I was chained in the corner of the room. He crouched down in front of me, his face inches from mine.

"I'd like to avoid that if I can though, so you should do what I say and be nice to me and then I'll be nice to you," he snarled, reaching a hand out and slowly stroking his palm down my left cheek. I recoiled from his unpleasant touch, trying to back even further into the wall, if possible.

"So soft," he purred. "I can't wait to see if the rest of you feels the same way."

My heart sunk in my chest at his words, phlegm piling up in my throat with disgust. I didn't swallow it back down, and instead I spat it into his face in an attempt to get him away from me. Almost immediately, I felt a sharp sting of pain as his hand collided with my cheek in a hard slap, before he gripped my chin tightly forcing me to look into his angry red irises.

"Never. Do that. Again," he growled.

He stood up from where he had been crouching, his weight balancing on his ankles, and walked over to the opposite side of the room. He grabbed a towel I hadn't noticed before, strewn on the cabinet in the opposite corner of the room, and wiped my spit from where it rested on his right cheek.

"You know, Belikov is a fool for letting you out of his sight," he stated matter-of-factly, turning to look at me again as he leant against the cabinet. "Yes, I got his message from Oleg. 'Oh if you come near her, I'll make you regret it!' Ha!" He let out a loud chuckle at his own mocking of Dimitri, obviously finding the situation hilarious. "Well where is he now? I'm certainly not regretting it at the minute – I have exactly what I want, tied up here for my own benefits and no one knows where we are. I've got you for as long as I desire."

"Dimitri will find me. He'll come for me," I declared in an attempt to threaten him, but also to reassure myself that I would be okay. "Even if he doesn't I can take care of myself. I don't need protecting. I'll get out of here soon."

Nathan chortled once more, clearly entertained by my words, before abruptly stopping and fixing me with a menacing glare.

"You're not going anywhere. You're mine now, don't you see? Finders keepers."

He pushed himself away from where he leant on the counter and prowled over in my direction again. I refused to drop my gaze, holding his harsh stare in mine in an attempt to hide my fear.

"I should have killed him in Russia," he stated, kneeling in front of me when he reached me. "Fuck Galina, I should have done it! If only he hadn't walked in on us just as I was about to –" He stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he reached out towards my now loose hair. He tangled his hand tightly into my long locks, preventing me from recoiling, and brought the strands to his face. He inhaled the smell of my hair before his red eyes snapped open, now dark and clouded with what I could only describe as primal lust.

He smirked unnervingly and released my hair from his grip, reaching behind me to release the chain around my neck, his face once again less than an inch from mine.

I heard the chain clink as it loosened its grip around my throat and I knew this would be my only chance to get away. My heart pounded in my chest as I used the precious seconds to devise a plan. Both my hands were tied so I knew escape would be difficult, but the look on Nathan's face told me he would be anything but 'nice' to me if I didn't take the opportunity to get out of here. The value of Dimitri's first lesson didn't fall short right now: Run.

Without any hesitation, I brought both hand up swiftly and socked him harshly below his chin, the pain and shock of my assault causing him to throw his head back. I used his distraction to my advantage and pulled both feet back towards my chest, before delivering a strong kick to his chest. Already unbalanced from kneeling, he fell backwards and landed on the floor, increasing the distance between us. In a flash, I was on my feet and I sprinted towards the door, praying it wasn't an automatic lock and I wasn't locked in.

As I reached the door, I heard a low, menacing growl from behind me and I frantically tried to open the door, which was proving difficult with my tied hands. I started to panic and my hands began to shake, adding to the struggle of my feeble escape.

_Come on, Rose. Don't let your fear get the better of you. You can do this._

Just as my shaking and bound hands found their way to twist the door knob, a body crashed into mine and pushed me flush against the door. A large hand tangled itself into my hair and slammed my head forward into the hard wood and I cried out in pain, my body trapped by the weight of the monster behind me.

"Get – get the fuck off me -" I stammered, dark shadows from the pain I felt clouding my vision. I struggled under Nathans tight hold, trying to turn and push him off me but he was strong – much stronger than he had been in Russia.

"I told you. You're mine now, and if you're nice to me I'll be nice to you. But that wasn't very nice now was it?" He snarled into my ear, snaking an arm around my waist. His hand worked its way up my body until he forcibly cupped one of my breasts as he let out a soft moan.

Pig.

I tried to push him off me again, pushing my body weight back against his, but it was no use. I lifted a foot and slammed it down harshly onto his own, causing him to yell out. His hold on my body didn't relent, and in his rage he smashed my head forward into the door again. My vision was starting to blur from the trauma and I was struggling to keep up my defences.

"Hm, you're a little too feisty for my liking today. We can't be having that while we're busy having fun," he purred. The hand tangled in my hair yanked my head backwards, exposing my neck to him, and I felt my heart rate quicken in fear. He was going to bite me. I let out a whimper at the realisation that I would be completely at his mercy, my confident façade finally breaking.

He brought his mouth down to my neck and I yelped in pain as I felt his pointed fangs pierce the skin. I heard him moan pleasurably as he drank, and soon the endorphins from the bite coursed through me, relaxing my mind and my body instantly. The monster's tight grasp on me was the only thing keeping me upright. My subconscious was screaming at me, shouting at me to do anything I could to get away, but it was too late. The pleasure from the bite left me entirely and utterly useless. I was pathetic.

Soon after, his mouth left my neck and I whimpered at the sudden lack of contact, to which Nathan let out a hearty chuckle.

"See Rose, I knew you wanted me."

Weak from his bite, I could do nothing to stop him as he lifted me from the ground, dragging me fiercely to the bed in the centre of the room. My mind was still screaming abuse at me, willing me to defend myself from him, knowing exactly what he wanted with me. I was urging myself to regain control over my body, but the endorphins mixed with the loss of blood and head trauma had left me malleable.

I could do nothing as his sharp nails dug into my skin and his fingers curled underneath my waist band, ripping my tight trousers off effortlessly. I could do nothing as his lust-filled eyes wandered my body, taking in every curve and every inch of my skin. I could do nothing as he licked his lips in anticipation, freeing himself from the restraints of his own clothing. I could do nothing as he lowered himself onto me, forcing himself into me in one painful motion.

I cried out at the feeling, breaking me from my daze and I realised what was happening. Struggling to regain control of my body, I squirmed underneath him as he used and abused my weak body for his own pleasure, trying to push him off me and free myself from his hold. But I could do nothing.

I could do nothing.

I could do nothing.


	18. Chapter 18

**Adrian's POV** – _3 days on._

"Maybe you're not quite off your meds yet? They might still be in your system," Lissa said sadly from where she sat next to me on the sofa in Rose's apartment.

"No that's not it. I can feel it. I can feel the magic. It's working, but, it's like I can't connect to her. Like I'm reaching out to a brick wall," I said.

Once I found out Rose was missing, I immediately made the decision to stop taking my medication and try to search for her in her dreams. It had been a difficult and tense few days for everybody, made worse by the fact that I hadn't yet managed to connect with Rose. It hadn't taken long for me to feel the magic ignite inside me again but for some reason I just hadn't managed to find her. At first I thought that maybe she wasn't asleep whenever I tried dream walking, but I'd since began trying every hour at least, and I still hadn't had any luck. My magic was there, I could feel it. I had been able to see auras again within the first day of not taking my meds, but then again that _had_ been my strong point of Spirit. But why couldn't I reach Rose?

"A brick wall?" Christian asked, moving to sit on the other side of his girlfriend.

"Yes," I confirmed. "I can feel her there, behind the wall, but it's like I just can't get through it to talk to her. I feel like I've experienced it before, it's a familiar feeling. I just can't remember when I felt it."

Thinking hard, I wracked my brain trying to remember when I had felt this way before. When Rose was on the run? No, I'd been able to reach her then, multiple times.

"Russia," I remembered, the memory coming to the forefront of my mind. "When she went to Russia I tried reaching out to her but I struggled then too."

"She's been bitten," Dimitri stated, contributing to the conversation for the first time.

I nodded, looking over to where he sat at the kitchen counter, various papers and maps strewn out in front of him. He looked devastated, and checking in with his aura, I saw that it reflected the dull emotion in his eyes. There were no bright colours – his aura was dark, muted, with a slight angry red around the outside. I couldn't tell whether the anger was directed at the memory of his and Rose's time in Russia, or the revelation that Rose was being bitten again now.

"The endorphins from the bite seem to block the connection. It's the same feeling now as when I tried to contact her in Russia. When you –"

"Yes, I understand. No need to go into detail."

Lissa let out a shaky breath beside me, obviously trying to collect herself and control the worry she was feeling for her best friend. "Can you keep trying? Maybe you'll get through soon, he can't drink from her too often."

"Not without killing her at least. I mean, Eddie barely survived Spokane." Christian added.

"Christian!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Sorry. I didn't think." He mumbled, his eyes flicking warily to where my guardian was leaning against the wall before lowering his gaze to the floor.

Ignoring the tension in the room, I returned my attention to Lissa's question. "Of course I'll keep trying. I managed to reach her before," I informed her. "But I don't think she'd been bitten the day I finally got through to her."

"Well it's been, what, three days? Maybe he'll give her a break soon. If he's as obsessed with her as he seems to be he won't want to kill her, surely?"

"Liss, he's a monster. He doesn't care about her," Christian said reluctantly.

"He doesn't want to kill her," Belikov stated as he moved from his seat at the counter and towards where we all sat in the seating area. "He did, at first. But now," he paused and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. "Now he just _wants_ her. He wants her to be his."

Lissa turned to me again. "See? He can't feed from her all the time. You have to keep trying."

"Liss, I promised I will. I'm not going to give up."

Belikov's eyes flicked to mine and I saw that his aura was tinged a deep green. I could tell that he was feeling useless, not being able to do much to look for Rose besides cross referencing maps and identifying possible places she could be. Unfortunately, he hadn't got very far. It was clear he hated not being able to do much, and while he was thankful for my help, he was jealous that I was able to do more than he currently could in the search for his girlfriend.

I offered him a sympathetic look as I stood up from my seat. "I need to feed and get some of my energy back, and then I'll try again. I'll let you all know if something happens," I informed them before leaving the apartment, Eddie following close behind. As always, Eddie took his job as guardian very seriously and despite being in the safety of the wards, he rarely left my side. He never wanted to take the risk of leaving me alone, especially since the wards had been broken recently.

* * *

"Do you need me to do anything? Anything I can help you with to look for her?" Eddie asked once we were back at my house. Obviously there wasn't much he _could_ do to help me, but it was clear Eddie was also feeling useless in the search for Rose.

Eddie had been devastated when he heard she was missing. He'd been released from the hospital not even five minutes when he was faced with the news. Like me, and many others it seemed, he showed a great deal of anger towards Belikov, placing a lot of the blame for Rose's disappearance onto him. Apparently, the Strigoi that took her was the same one that almost killed Eddie in the first attack, and he'd given Eddie a message for Belikov. Eddie was furious that Belikov hadn't done anything about it. He'd known and cared for Rose since they were little children running around the halls of St Vlad's, and this situation just further added to the long list of things they'd already been through together.

"No thanks Eddie, I'm just going to head to my room for a bit and try again," I told him before making my way upstairs and collapsing on the bed. Feeling stronger after having fed, I immediately began reaching out to Rose, focusing completely on projecting my mind towards her.

I spent most of the night making attempts every few hours, and I was beginning to get agitated. She was there, I could feel her, but we couldn't connect.

It was almost 5 pm before I finally had a break through, very early in the vampiric day (or late in the night, depending on how you looked at it). Reaching out to her mind, the 'brick wall' was surprisingly weak and after using all my strength, I felt the connection being made.

Suddenly, trees began materialising around me, their leaves rustling in the wind, and a cool breeze ran through my hair. Streaks of sunlight shone through gaps in the canopy above me, tinting my surroundings a warm orange.

But there was no Rose in front of me.

Walking deeper into the forest around me, I began searching for her. She was here somewhere; this was _her_ mind after all. Not thirty seconds later, I felt my breath hitch as I finally found what I had been looking for.

Sat below a tree, her head buried in her arms as she clutched her knees to her chest, I could see that she was sobbing. Her long brown hair covered her face, but her shoulders shook as she wept and I heard small whimpers carrying through the breeze.

"Rose?" I called out, moving towards her.

She didn't respond, instead recoiling further back against the tree behind her and pulling her knees tighter.

"Rose, it's Adrian."

Her shoulders stopped shaking and I could see her hesitantly raise her head a little, looking over her arms towards me. She stared at me cautiously for a moment, fear and worry clearly etched on her face.

Just as I was about to move closer, she was up off the floor in a flash and she flew towards me, clinging to me and burying herself in my chest before she started weeping again.

I allowed her to cry into my chest for a while, letting out everything she was feeling.

I didn't know exactly what she had been put through, but the state of her body gave me some indication. Dressed in a barely-there silk babydoll, her skin was littered with dark bruises. Almost every inch of her body from her shoulders down to her calves had been marked with angry contusions and the dried blood on her neck indicated that she had indeed been fed from. But nothing could have prepared me for what I had caught a glimpse of on her inner thighs before she ran to me: two deep purple hand shaped marks. Marks that could have only been inflicted from the violent compression of having her thighs forced and held open.

I could feel a lump forming in my throat at the sickening thought of what she had been going through for the last few days. Nobody deserved to deal with that, least of all Rose. Resting my hands gently on her shoulders, I stepped back slightly to look into her eyes. Unsurprisingly, they were bloodshot and sore from her crying, but it was also as though they had lost their life, their sparkle. I could see she was numb inside. Taking off my jacket, I wrapped it around her, allowing her some sort of coverage.

"Rose? We're looking for you, okay? We're coming to find you," I tried to reassure her.

Fresh tears spilled over her cheeks and she lowered her gaze to the floor. "But I don't know where I am," she mumbled.

"Can you tell us anything at all? Anything?"

"I don't know, I don't know anything."

Looking at the trees around us, I asked, "Why the forest? I let your mind take us wherever it wanted."

She looked around at the trees around us before looking down at the ground. "I've not been here before, I don't recognise it. I thought you chose it," she stated, confused.

I furrowed my brow, matching her confusion. "Where exactly are you right now?"

"I'm locked in a room but there's no window so I can't see outside, only a door in and out."

"Have you been out of the room?"

"No… I've just been trapped in here. I remember fighting and then I woke up chained in the room. I'm trapped. I can't get out, I can't –" I could see she was beginning to get worked up again, becoming hysterical as she spoke.

"Shh, Rose, it's okay," I tried to reassure her, reaching out towards her again.

"It's not, it's not okay. Nathan – I – I tried to stop him but I couldn't. He's really strong and he keeps biting me Adrian. I tried to stop him but he keeps – he –" She began wailing into my chest, my heart breaking at every sob, cry and whimper.

"I'm so pathetic! I can't believe I keep letting him hurt me. Dimitri's going to hate me isn't he?"

"No, Rose, never," I stated, my words full of truth. Belikov was practically going stir crazy looking for Rose, his anger aimed entirely at himself and Nathan. I knew without a doubt that he would love Rose unconditionally until the day he dies, no matter what challenges they faced. "This isn't your fault. At all. Never, ever think that, okay?"

Rose sniffled in my arms before I felt her nod slowly.

"Listen, Rose, I can't hold this connection for much longer. I've already used so much of my magic trying to reach out to you, but I need to let the others know what's going on."

"No please!" She wailed, clinging tighter to my chest. "Please don't leave me, I need you, I don't want to be alone!"

"I promise I'll come back okay?" I reassured her, stepping out of her clutch. "But I need to tell them that I got through to you. Dimitri's going crazy not knowing where you are, I don't think he's slept more than an hour since we lost you. And Lissa's no better off. But I promise I'll come back, Little Dhampir."

She nodded, not bothering to stop the tears from rolling down her face. I gave her a sympathetic smile before reluctantly breaking the connection and returning to my own mind. I really wanted to stay there with her and comfort her, but I knew that she would wake up at some point anyway, and I really did need to relay to the others what had happened.

* * *

Practically running down the stairs, I saw that Eddie had fallen asleep on the sofa, not bothering to go back to his own apartment last night. I quickly woke him up before I sent a quick text to Lissa telling her to meet me at Rose's apartment, before hastily heading there ourselves.

It was still very early, but I knew that Lissa would be awake – like many of us, she hadn't been sleeping very much in the last few days. After the short walk, we arrived at our destination almost at the same time as Lissa and Christian had, flanked by a two of her guards. After instructing them to wait outside, she and Christian followed Eddie and I up the stairs and to the apartment door. I knocked twice and almost immediately the door opened, revealing a very tired and dishevelled looking Dimitri. With dark rings under his anxious eyes and days old stubble growing on his chin, it was clear he was losing his cool. Hell, he'd lost that the moment Rose was taken.

Seeing the determined look on my face and the group behind me, he opened the door further and stepped aside, allowing us to enter.

"I got through. I spoke to her," I informed the group as soon as we stepped through the door.

Almost immediately, I was bombarded with desperate questions from the group.

"Roza? Is she okay?"

"Did you see where she was?"

"Is she hurt?"

"Does she know where she is?"

"IS ROZA OKAY?"

I backed away from them all, holding up my hands in an attempt to calm them down and cease the questions being fired at me.

"She doesn't know where she is or how she got there. She said that she remembered fighting and then she must have been knocked out because she woke up chained in a room," I stated. "She said there are no windows and only one door but she hasn't been out of the room."

"Did she say anything else?" Lissa asked, grasping Christian's hand tightly.

"Not much else. There wasn't much time for talking, she was crying for a lot of it," I said, my gaze meeting Dimitri's worried eyes.

"Adrian, please," he began quietly, concern lacing his voice. "Is she hurt?"

Taking a deep breath, I reluctantly relayed what I had deduced from my interaction with Rose. The way she was sobbing, what she was wearing, the marks on her neck, the bruises…

"…she had two hand shaped bruises imprinted onto the inside of her thighs. Like she's been…" I trailed off, unable to finish my sentence.

Almost immediately, tears spilled over Lissa's cheeks as she clutched onto Christian, who simply looked shocked. Eddie's face was painted with fury and Dimitri… well, looking into his eyes, I could pin point the exact moment his heart broke in two.


	19. Chapter 19

**Rose's POV ** _–_ _two weeks later_

A slight movement next to me as I lay in bed jolted me from my sleep, and I rolled over with a smile on my face ready to greet my Russian God for the first time that morning. But my smile faded when I realised the person I came face to face with was in fact _not_ Dimitri. I had been dreaming about him, as I often did, and for a small moment I had forgotten where I was. I wasn't lying in bed with the love of my life – I was being held captive in a room by a monster.

"Morning Gorgeous!" Nathan greeted me, brushing my hair out of my face as he gazed down at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him, sitting up quickly and shuffling away from his touch. His smile dropped when I didn't return his greeting, and I was met with a sharp sting as a hand collided with my cheek, punishment for ignoring him.

"Answer when you're spoken to."

I mumbled some sort of response in the form of a grunt, unwilling to give him the gratification of a verbal reply.

"I thought we could have breakfast together this morning? Breakfast in bed, would you like that?"

After ignoring him again, he reached out and ferociously grabbed a fistful of my hair behind my head, pulling in a downward motion, forcing me to look up and meet his harsh stare.

"I just said – you answer me when I speak to you. Haven't you learned yet?" He tugged harder, causing me to wince in pain. "Now, how about breakfast in bed?"

"I guess," I replied through gritted teeth.

Nathan's grin returned and his eyes softened as he released his hold, smoothing my hair down to neaten where it had just been tangled in his fist. "Of course, _I_ won't be eating, but I've asked Oleg to whip you up something nice," he informed me and, as if on cue, the door opened as Oleg hurried into the room.

He made his way over to me and handed me a plate, on which sat a bagel topped with cream cheese and salmon. As usual, something that didn't involve the use of utensils. Nathan was obviously paranoid that I would try something if I had the opportunity to get my hands on a weapon. _Huh, what a crazy thought._

"Oleg? Bring my meal down so that Rose and I can have breakfast together," Nathan ordered. Oleg didn't look into his eyes but nodded his acknowledgement of his order before scurrying out of the room to fetch Nathan's 'breakfast'. I could feel a lump form in the back of my throat and my chest became very heavy, knowing what would be walking in through that door.

He never fed from me for more than 3 days in a row, choosing to _hunt_ elsewhere on those days – whether the 'feeders' came to him or he ventured out to look for his next fix. Either way, it was a welcome break, despite the sickening feeling that it was _another _person losing their life.

"This is sick!" I exclaimed, automatically recoiling back as Nathan spun to glare at me.

"Sick?" He asked. "I'm just having my breakfast, same as you."

"My breakfast doesn't involve me taking someone's life," I stated, hatred clear on my tongue.

Nathan chortled. "You'll see one day. That meagre fact won't even cross your mind once you've tasted blood."

Not two minutes later, Oleg scuttled back into the room, a young human woman with long brown hair trailing behind him. The similarities between our appearances didn't escape my attention. _Subtle_. The spaced-out look across her face and glaze across her eyes told me that she was here by choice – she craved the bite.

"Ah Clarissa. Good to see you this morning," Nathan greeted her, a sly smile spreading across his lips exposing his fangs as he lurked towards her. Clarissa's eyes lit up when she acknowledged him and returned his grin happily. Taking her hand, he led her towards where I perched on the bed, sitting down in the empty space next to me. I immediately jumped up, long ignoring my own breakfast, backing away from the scene about to take place in front of me.

Narrowing his eyes, Nathan's head snapped to look at me. "What's wrong, Rose? Don't you want to watch?"

"Of course I don't want to watch!" I scoffed. "It's disgusting."

"Oh Rose," he laughed. "You're just jealous because it's not you today," he stated, before pulling the young woman's hair back to expose her neck. I heard her breath hitch as she anticipated the bite, and not two seconds later the sigh of contentment as his sharp points pierced her skin.

I felt bile form in my throat as I watched him slowly drain her, and without a second thought I was across the room in an instant, knocking into Nathan in an attempt to defend this poor woman. It was a feeble attempt, however, and without even pulling away from her neck he struck out effortlessly as though he was just swatting away a fly. With a loud crash I slammed into the wall, crying out in pain at the harsh contact.

I struggled to lift myself up from the floor, and quite frankly I didn't want to if it meant having to watch Nathan take another life in front of my eyes.

A few minutes passed and I could hear her thrashing when she realised he didn't intend to stop. With a final moan from him, I heard her slump lifeless on the bed as he released her. There was a heavy tension in the room as the silence surrounded us, broken only when I heard the bed creak as he stood and footsteps heading in my direction.

Staring at the ground below where I sat on the floor, two shoes came into view as he stopped in front of me. I hesitantly looked up to meet his irate gaze as he wiped the remnants of blood from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oleg!" Nathan shouted, never taking his dark eyes off mine. Shortly after, the door creaked open behind him and Oleg hurried in, instantly asking what was required of him. "I'm done. Take the girl out of the room and get rid of her," he commanded, still glaring down at me.

Nathan and I stared at each other in silence as Oleg attempted to move the body, weakly dragging her out of the room by her hands. I tried to steady my heavy breaths, not wanting to show my fear to the angry monster standing over me.

When Oleg was out of the room, Nathan crouched down in front of me, gripping my chin tightly in his hand.

"When are you going to get it in your head that you're not going to win?" He growled before I felt the sharp sting of his backhand across my cheek. I clenched my eyes at the pain, refusing to cry out – I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing it hurt.

"I'm heading out to hunt. She wasn't quite what I wanted," he informed me. "And you," his grip on my chin tightened, "have _pissed_ me off so much I can't be around you right now. I don't want to do something I'll regret." His angry eyes softened ever so slightly and he turned my head to the side to plant an unwelcome kiss on my cheek, before leaning back on his heels and walking away. Pausing when he reached the door, he turned to look at me once more. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Once I heard the click of the door as he locked it behind him, I scrambled to my feet before frantically scrubbing at my cheek where the feel of his lips lingered. I felt disgusting, as usual. It was a feeling I had become accustomed to in the last two weeks. Each time he fed from me I felt myself longing more and more for his bite, and each time I felt more disgusted with myself for allowing him to hurt me. Believe me, I always resisted, defending myself as much as I could, but it always ended the same – with more and more bruises being painted onto my body. It was a wonder every inch of my skin wasn't purple. And then of course came what usually followed those beatings… a reminder that I was '_his_'.

While I found myself craving his bite, I was also constantly longing for those days when he'd forgo using me as his own personal Bloodwhore. Those were the days that Adrian visited. Those days kept me going. Without Adrian, I knew I wouldn't be able to hold it together as well as I was. I could feel myself growing weaker as the days went by, losing the will to carry on but, without fail, Adrian would always show up in my dreams to comfort me and remind me who I was. I was Rose Hathaway. Rose Hathaway. The Queen's Guardian. Rose_ fucking _Hathaway, the Novice who killed countless Strigoi before she even graduated.

Why then was I _still _trapped in this goddamn room? Nathan didn't chain me up anymore when he'd leave, but the damn door was always locked. And he was clever – he didn't exactly give me any opportunities to overpower him, not that I'd be able to in my state, anyway.

Instead, all I had to keep me going were my visits from Adrian and his news from Court. Not that this news was always good - Adrian told me that they were no closer to convincing the Guardians to search for me, but he promised that they weren't giving up. Every minute of the day was spent trying to track me down, and apparently Dimitri was going out of his mind putting all he had into finding me. My heart broke in two when Adrian mentioned him. I barely allowed myself to think about him as I knew I would just break down - I couldn't begin to imagine what he must be feeling.

Adrian told me what happened after the first time he contacted me. He had apparently relayed to them the torment I was being subjected to. Lissa was distraught, breaking down in tears until she was physically sick. Both Eddie and Christian were understandably angry, but Dimitri… he simply sunk to the floor in despair and didn't speak to anyone for hours. He was broken. But when his mind finally came back to his body, he showed a rage that rivalled both Eddie's and Christian's, taking his anger out on the punch bags in the gym until his hands were blistered and bloody.

* * *

I wasn't sure how much time had passed as I reflected on the last two weeks, but after what felt like a few hours, I heard the lock click in the door and I immediately sat up on edge. The door slowly opened and Oleg scuttled in, thankfully on his own.

"I – I'm just here for the plate," he stammered as he moved to pick up my discarded breakfast that I had left from this morning.

"Oleg? Is Nathan back yet?" I asked, trying to make my tone of voice as natural and unassuming as possible.

"Not yet," he replied before heading to the door again.

"Wait!" I exclaimed, and he halted in his tracks.

I'd had enough. The longer I was trapped here the more I felt like I was losing a part of myself, and thinking of the people at home had shown me that I _had_ to do something. It had been two weeks, and they were no closer to helping me. I had to take it into my own hands, even if it killed me.

"We can get out of here, you just have to help me," I pleaded. It was a repeat of Russia, when I had coerced him to help me escape from Galina's compound. He had refused to leave with me then, and I had a strong feeling he would refuse again this time.

Oleg turned around and frantically shook his head. "No, I – I want to stay."

I sighed. "Okay fine, do what you want but you have to help _me_ at least!"

His eyes widened and he shook his head again, slowly backing in the direction of the door. "No! H-he'll kill me!"

"Oleg, come on, you helped me once, help me again!"

"No," was all he said and he quickly turned to open the door, his hands fumbling as he did so.

Within seconds I had made my decision and I was on him. With a crash, the plate he was holding fell to the floor as I tackled him and we fell to the floor together. I couldn't ignore the ache coursing through my already bruised body and I cried out. Biting back the pain, I struck out.

_He's not a good person_, I told myself. _It doesn't matter that he's just a human, he's helping them_.

Oleg struggled beneath my grip but it was clear from the start that he wouldn't win this, even in my weaker state. He tried striking out at me, trying to push me off him, but it was a feeble effort. I dodged his blows, managing to easily land a few of my own before he finally stopped thrashing out. He was unconscious.

I checked for a pulse before pushing myself off him, leaving him lying on the cold floor – he wasn't dead, luckily. It hadn't been my intention to kill, only to subdue.

With a deep breath to collect myself, I ran for the door, pressing my ear against it to check for movement on the other side. If Nathan was back, there was no way I'd escape his wrath if he'd caught me. But I had to get out of here – now.

When I couldn't hear anything, I reached for the doorknob with a shaky hand. It wasn't locked – they only ever locked it from the outside, and I'd stopped Oleg before he'd been able to leave and lock me in again.

This was it. This was my chance.

Carefully, I twisted the handle and tugged, breathing a sigh of relief when the door moved from its catch in the door frame.

Peering around the edge of the door, I found myself looking down a dark and empty corridor.

I was alone.

But more importantly, I was out.


	20. Chapter 20

**Dimitri's POV**

_Blood oozed down my body. I didn't realise how much I had missed after my feeding frenzy._

"_What a waste," I uttered, as I stood in the cool water of the shower. I had been out in the streets of Harrisburg where I had found two young ladies as drunk as can be, making their way home after a night of care-free drinking._

Wait - Harrisburg?

_I followed them before making my move, dragging them into a dark, lonely alley and snatching their lives from them. They hadn't seen it coming._

_After showering, I made my way to the room where Rose was waiting for me. As always, when I walked in, she had pushed herself as far back into the wall as she could, not wanting to be anywhere near me._

_I chuckled. "What are you doing over there, Rose? Come and greet me like a good girl," I commanded._

I could feel my confusion even as I slept. That wasn't my voice. My nightmare wasn't playing out as it always did…

_I made my way over to her, biting back the growl that formed in my throat as she tried to back away further. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her tightly into my embrace. "I missed you," I told her affectionately._

_She didn't respond. Taking a step back from her, my angry eyes pierced her own frightened gaze and without hesitation, my strong palm flew across her face causing her to whimper in pain._

My Roza…

"_I said - I missed you," I reaffirmed. "Did you miss me?" I moved an inch closer, now towering over her. She refused to look at me and I could feel my anger growing stronger each minute. Grabbing her by the chin, I forced her head upwards and crushed my lips to hers, exploring her mouth with my own. She tried pushing me away, pounding her fists on my chest, but my harsh grip forced her to stay put._

_As my mouth intertwined with hers, I unexpectedly felt a sharp pain in my lower lip, causing me to pull away swiftly. Bitch bit me! Oh man was she going to pay for that…_

_In my confusion, Rose had taken the opportunity to hastily run towards the door, trying (and failing in her panic) to open it and escape my clutches. I was faster though, stronger, and I had her pinned against the door in seconds._

"_Rose…"_

"_Please, Nathan. Please just let me go," she begged, although her voice lacked emotion. She was numb, broken. Good._

…Nathan?

"_Not going to happen, Rose. You're mine now and I've shown you that time and time again! Or do I need to remind you that you don't belong to Belikov anymore?" I threatened, snaking a hand around her waist and under the soft silk of the babydoll she was wearing, grazing the inside of her thigh eagerly._

"_No! I'm sorry, just don't hurt me again!" She cried, struggling beneath my body weight._

"_Hurt you?" I chuckled. "No my dear, I'm going to make you feel wonderful," I assured her, before impatiently bringing my mouth down to her neck, piercing the skin with my pointed fangs._

* * *

Sweat trickled down my brow as I sat up panting in bed. What the _hell _was that? The first time in days that I had been able to fall asleep for longer than ten minutes and I was treated to one of my fabled nightmares, reminding me of all the disgusting, twisted things I put Roza through when I held her captive. I hadn't dreamt of those awful events in months and now with Rose missing, my spiralling mind was obviously bringing up the deep rooted memories I had tried so hard to push to the back of my head.

Only, it was different this time - I hadn't been myself in the dream. It definitely felt the same – I felt exactly how I had when _I_ had been her torturer – yet, I wasn't _me. _In this dream, I had been Nathan. I was the vile, disgusting being that was currently holding the love of my life in his clutches, using and abusing her until she was barely herself anymore.

I knew she was starting to struggle. Adrian had informed me of what Nathan had been putting her through. Unspeakable things that made me want to rip the heads off every Strigoi I could get my hands on, and the slightly _less _sinister things he was forcing her to do… 'romantic' dinners, gifts, breakfast in bed… I knew things were beginning to take a toll on Rose, both physically and emotionally, and each time Adrian managed to reach out to her she was becoming more and more broken.

I could feel the anger coursing through my veins each time I thought about her, trapped and unable to escape, and the guilt I felt at allowing her to be taken ate me up inside. My stomach twisted in knots every time an image of her beautiful face crying out in pain flashed across my mind.

My Roza.

Why couldn't I help her?

With a deep sigh, I stumbled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen in search of a glass of water. I wasn't sure of the time – I never was these days – but the subtle moonlight through the gap in the curtains told me it was sometime after day break. Day number seventeen of Roza missing. Day number seventeen of losing my mind with worry. Day number seventeen of almost unbearable heartbreak.

Where was she?

I didn't know how much longer I could handle not knowing where Rose was and not being able to protect her from that monster.

As soon as I got my hands on him he would regret ever touching my Roza. He would wish he never laid his disgusting hands on her once I was through with him. I would torture him slowly for every disgusting act of torment he put her through before ripping his heart from his chest with my bare hands, and tearing his head clean off his shoulders.

And that still wouldn't be enough.

I could feel my rage elevating and before I could stop the anger taking control of my body, the glass of water in my hands was hurtling towards the wall, shattering on the harsh impact and littering tiny shards of glass all over the floor. An angry roar ripped from my throat and I kicked out, knocking over the bar stools next to me with a loud thump. A piercing crash filled the air as I swiped the countless unwashed plates and utensils off the counter, joining the shards of glass as they broke, but it wasn't enough.

It wasn't enough.

I stormed through the apartment, destroying everything in my way and soon there was nothing left to break besides myself. Without a care or acknowledgement of the pain, I lashed out at the wall behind me, punching until my hands were blistered and bloodied.

I let Rose get taken. I couldn't protect her. All I wanted was to keep Rose safe and I had failed. It had been _me_ hurting her in Russia, and although it wasn't me now, I had still hurt her by allowing Nathan to get his hands on her. She didn't deserve any of it. She was the loveliest, kindest, wildest woman I knew, and although she wouldn't like to admit it, she didn't have a bad bone in her body. She didn't deserve any of the pain being dealt to her.

I couldn't stop the sob escaping my lips nor the tears flowing down my cheeks as I sank to my knees in despair. It wasn't often I cried, but when it came to my Roza it was rare that I could ever keep in control of my emotions. She was the light of my life and my heart belonged to her completely. She saved my life and I owed her everything. And yet, I was consistently letting her down.

* * *

I sat on the floor in amongst all the chaos I created for what felt like hours, and I barely registered the door opening as Vasilisa and Christian entered. They stopped short when they saw the state of the apartment and I heard Vasilisa audibly gasp as she took in the sight before her.

"Dimitri?" She asked tentatively, moving slowly towards me with Christian in tow.

I didn't respond, continuing to stare down at my red and swollen hands.

"What happened?" My charge asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Go away," I commanded, still refusing to look at them. I didn't want them here – I didn't want anyone here.

"Did you do this?" Christian queried, ignoring my request that they leave.

"I said go away," I reaffirmed, lifting my head to greet them with a glare. "I don't want to see anyone."

"Like hell are we going anywhere!"

"Just leave me alone!" I shouted, jumping up from where I was hunched on the floor. I was too angry for this. I couldn't have anyone with me.

"Not until you talk to us! What happened?" Christian asked again, stepping in front of Vasilisa and pushing her backwards slightly.

I could feel my heart rate elevating again and my body tensed. "I snapped okay!" I exclaimed. I took a breath and closed my eyes in an attempt to calm down and regain control. "I had another dream… about my time as a – when I was in Russia. Only it wasn't _me_, it was Nathan. With Rose. I've let her down and now she's in danger."

I couldn't stop myself as I turned to take my anger out on the wall again. "I. Couldn't. Protect. Her." I yelled, dealing a punch after each word.

"Dimitri, stop!" I heard Vasilisa exclaim, but in my rage I hardly registered it.

"Dimitri, calm the _fuck _down!" Christian shouted, and he unexpectedly appeared in my field of view, stepping in between my body and the wall, effectively stopping me in my tracks. I was still shaking in anger but with my charge standing in front of me defiantly I lowered my arms to my sides.

"This isn't like you mate," he said calmly. "I know you're hurting, we all are, but the best thing we can do for Rose right now is not give up instead of getting angry."

"Dimitri can I please heal your hands? I can't imagine the pain you're in." Vasilisa added, moving to stand beside me.

"No," I shook my head. "I deserve the pain. It's my fault she's gone, it's my fault she –"

"Dimitri! Enough." Christian cut me off. "Let Lissa help you and then we'll help clean up."

I sighed in defeat and turned to face the Queen. I winced in pain as she reached out to grasp my hands, but almost instantly the pain disappeared, along with the blood and bruises that were beginning to form.

"We'll find her," was all she said and all I could do was nod in agreement.

We would find her. We had to.

Even if it was the last thing I did.


	21. Chapter 21

**Rose's POV**

_Peering around the edge of the door, I found myself looking down a dark and empty corridor._

_I was alone._

_But more importantly, I was out._

* * *

Well, out of my room at least.

Without a second glance, I stepped over the threshold of the room I had been confined to for almost three weeks, and into the unknown of the building in front of me. Creeping silently, I made my way along the dark hallway until I reached a small set of stairs leading upwards. My room had been at the end of the corridor, and by the looks of things, it was the only one on this level – I deduced that this was the lower floor, perhaps an underground basement considering there had been no windows. The wallpaper along the walls had been peeling and a thick layer of dust gathered along the skirting board, telling me that this was not an area used often. I would bet good money that the only people who had been down there in my time here had been me, Oleg and Nathan. I hoped that meant there weren't others in the house, but I couldn't be too sure so I ensured to keep my guard up.

I slowly tiptoed up the stairs, thankful that they didn't creak, and found myself faced with a wooden door.

"Shit," I whispered. If this door was locked I would have no chance.

I rested my hand on the door handle before pushing my ear up against the door to check that no one was behind it, waiting for me to burst through. When I was met with silence I slowly twisted the handle, hoping and praying that I would hear the 'click' as the door detached itself from the frame. Luck was clearly on my side, and the door edged forward. With a deep breath, I pushed it open further, taking a careful peek around before stepping through it.

I emerged into another hallway, however this one was bigger, cleaner, more like the foyer of a house. On the opposite side of the space and to my left, were another set of stairs leading upwards onto another floor. Directly to my left, the hallway seemed to lead deeper into the house. To my right, I saw a door which I hoped would lead to my freedom. This door was different to the rest I had come across, and appeared to be the front door. The deeply tinted windows on either side of the door restricted my vision, but I could make out that, behind them, the outside world awaited. I couldn't see any sign of civilisation however, and I knew that wherever I was, it was definitely off the beaten track.

Pausing briefly to check for any signs of movement in the house, I crept towards the door. With a shaky hand, I reached out to open it, gripping the handle tightly and twisting. It didn't budge.

"Shit."

Of course, this door would be locked. Yanking on the handle again, I tried pulling it open once more, cursing to myself when, unsurprisingly, it didn't move.

_Shit, shit, shit…_

My hope of escape was fading fast and I could feel myself begin to panic. What could I do? I knew that I could probably take the door down with my bare hands if I tried, even in my weaker state, but I hadn't established that I was alone in the house. What if I knocked the door down, only to be taken down moments later by a bunch of Strigoi from the upper floors of the building? No, I needed to be careful. This was too precious an opportunity to waste by being careless.

Sighing dejectedly, I turned away from the door and followed the hallway deeper into the house. Perhaps there was a back entrance I could try, an open window, anything…

The hallway led into a kitchen, its tinted windows allowing a slight amount of moonlight to reflect off the shiny surfaces. Being the house of a Strigoi, this room was clearly rarely used, and this fact was reflected its cleanliness. The sides were spotless, clear from clutter besides an empty vase on the island and a lonesome glass beside the sink.

Scanning the room for any points of exit, my gaze landed on a door to the back of the kitchen. What were the chances of this one being unlocked? I decided to try my luck, and moved around the island in the centre of the room and towards the promising door. With the already disappointing events of my feeble escape, I wasn't surprised when the door, like the one at the front of the building, didn't open. Locked. _Figures._

Keys – I needed the keys. _But where would they be?_

Unexpectedly, I heard a creak behind me and I span around quickly, ready to attack, my arm knocking the vase off the island as I did so. _Fuck! _It fell to the floor and shattered with a crash that sounded ten times louder due to the silence of the building. I held my breath and scanned the room, looking for the perpetrator of the creak and saw… nothing. No one. I stood silently, poised ready in case someone came to investigate the crash.

When a minute or so passed and nobody came, I relaxed slightly and continued my mission. Carefully dodging the shattered ceramic at my bare feet, I turned to the cabinets at the side of the room. Perhaps there were keys in a draw, or at least something I could use to pick the lock.

I rummaged through the draws swiftly, trying to be as quiet as possible. I looked in the first draw – no keys. The second, third, fourth draws – no keys. The fifth draw – no keys.

"Shit, shit, _shit_…"

I had to find another way. I _was_ going to get out of here.

Deciding to try my luck upstairs, I quickly looked for a weapon I could use to protect myself should I come across any Strigoi lurking. Of course, I wouldn't have my stake – but that hadn't stopped me before. I grabbed a knife from one of the draws I had just searched, before making my way back towards the front of the building and to the stairs.

Clutching the knife tightly in my hand, I slowly climbed the steps, balancing my weight and taking tentative steps in order to prevent any noise. Peering down the corridor when I reached the top, I was thankful to see that there was still no sign of anyone else here. But judging by the numerous doors lining the walls, I couldn't be too careful – there could be any number of Strigoi lurking in the rooms.

I tried the first door in front of me, listening for any sign of movement before opening it slowly to reveal an empty closet. No good.

I moved onto the next door, again taking the time to listen before making my way inside. This time, I found myself in what seemed to be a dusty old office. Books lined the walls and in the centre of the room sat a wooden desk. Deciding that there would be nothing useful here, I sighed and began to turn around to leave, before my eyes landed on something to the edge of the desk. A phone.

"Oh please work!" I uttered before all but running towards it.

It didn't look promising. It looked like one of those old fashioned phones – the ones with the rotary dials – and was covered in a layer of dust. The chances of it working were slim, but I couldn't pass the opportunity to try it anyway.

"Please, please work…"

I set the knife down in front of me before picking up the handset from the cradle and punching in a number I knew off by heart.

Lissa's.

I held my breath in anticipation as I entered the final number and waited for any sign of life at the other end of the phone, but I was met with… nothing.

The line was silent. No dial tone, no 'click' of a connection… No "Hello?" from my best friend echoing on the other end of the phone. Nothing. Silence.

It had to work, it _had_ to.

"Hello? Hello? Lissa? Can you hear me?" I pleaded down the silent phone, hoping that somehow she was on the other side, hearing my cries. Desperate tears spilled down my cheeks and I did nothing to stop them. My hopes of escape or somehow communicating the outside world were fading fast and the chances of seeing the people I loved again grew ever distant by the second.

"Please, Lissa, answer me!"

Silence.

Another choked sob escaped my lips and my chest tightened in anguish as more tears fell to the floor. I was alone in this.

"You know that doesn't work, right?"

Startled, I almost leapt out of my skin at the unexpected voice behind me, fumbling as I dropped the receiver in fright. It fell to the desk with a loud crash, still unhooked from the cradle. My chest rose and fell with heavy, terror-filled breaths as I heard footsteps behind me growing louder with each step closer.

"What do you think you're doing in here, Rose?"

His voice was stern. Angry, yet controlled. He was controlling his rage, which only frightened me more - I knew that when he finally snapped, his anger would be colossal.

"Turn around," He commanded. I stood frozen, unable to respond, and when I didn't react, he let out a low growl before repeating his command. "Turn around, now."

Unable to ignore him any longer, I slowly turned, coming face to face with Nathan's furious, piercing eyes.

"I asked you a question, Rose," He snarled. "What do you think you're doing in here?"

"You're back," I simply stated, and with a shaky breath, I slowly reached behind me, searching for the kitchen knife discarded on the desk. It wouldn't kill him, but it would offer me _some_ protection at least.

"And you're not answering my question." Knife. Where the fuck was that knife? "What are you doing?"

My hand finally came into contact with something cold and metal – Yes! I slowly gripped the handle and brought it closer to me, hiding it behind my back as I focused on Nathan standing barely two feet in front of me.

"I was just exploring," I stated, not bothering to hide the sarcasm lacing my voice. "Nice place you've got."

"You were trying to escape," he uttered, neither a question nor a statement. "Unfortunately for you, the phone doesn't work."

"You said," I retorted. My voice was surprisingly calm, despite the terror coursing through my body and heart beating heavily in my chest. "I kind of figured that out when, you know, no one actually answered me."

"I'm getting pretty tired of your persistence to defy me, Rose." Nathan took a step towards me, effectively closing the gap between us and my grip subconsciously tightened around the knife behind my back in response. "I'm beginning to wonder whether you're worth all this effort."

"So kill me," I stated. "End it."

"Tempting," he said. Nathan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling my scent as a hand reached out to stroke my cheek softly and tuck a lock of my brown hair behind my ear. I recoiled in response. "But I couldn't do that. I love you too much."

I couldn't help the mocking laugh that escaped my lips. "Love? You don't love me. You don't know what love is," I argued, his eyes narrowing in response. "Maybe you love the power you hold over me or the pain and terror you cause, but you don't _love me_."

I barely had time to react as his palm collided with my face before grabbing me by the throat. My cheek stung and tears gathered behind my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

"How dare you question my love for you," he glowered down at me. "I. Love. You."

He bent down and lowered his head towards my neck, licking a disgusting line along my jugular, his fangs tracing the skin.

"No," I said, "you don't," before plunging the knife into his chest unexpectedly, not allowing any time for him to react.

He cried out in pain and his grip around my neck faltered, leaving me just enough leeway to struggle free. But when I barely made it two steps before being tackled to the ground, I knew that my aim had been off – I hadn't pierced his heart as I had hoped. While it wouldn't have killed him, it would have at least slowed him down, briefly rendering him unconscious, just as the chair leg did to Dimitri in a strikingly similar way back in Russia.

As my body hit the floor, I managed to flip myself over before he attacked, allowing me a better opportunity to defend myself. Just as Nathan struck out, I kicked both legs upwards and into his body, effectively blocking his advance. I scarpered off the floor and lunged again, landing two consecutive blows to his chest before he retaliated. His fist collided harshly with my jaw, and then my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. I cried out painfully, but didn't allow myself to stop. I returned his attack swiftly. After my second hit, he dodged my third expertly, ducking out of my reach, and a growl escaped my lips in frustration. I needed to end this.

We each landed a decent number of hits, striking and dodging each other for what felt like hours, but in reality it had probably only been a few minutes. I could feel myself growing weary – the pain I was feeling and lack of energy both beginning to outweigh my drive to fight.

One wrong move and I once again found myself knocked to the floor, my back and my head colliding with the hard wood simultaneously. Black spots clouded my vision but I could make out Nathan's form hovering over me, moving closer and closer as my sight darkened.

"You still haven't learned. Each time you defy me I need to show you who you belong to," he spat before licking his lips. Pinning me beneath his body weight, he lowered his mouth to the scars on my neck, planting a soft kiss before his fangs pierced a fresh wound. "And you. Belong. To me."


	22. Chapter 22

**Dimitri's POV**

It seemed to have taken us hours to get the apartment looking somewhat like it had before my anger had taken over, and all that was left was a few shards of glass and ceramic on the floor and holes in the wall left behind from my punches.

It hadn't taken nearly as long as it would have had Christian and Vasilisa not insisted on helping me, despite my persistence that they didn't need to. _I_ destroyed the apartment and it was _my _responsibility to clear it up. Nevertheless, I was thankful for their help and their presence.

As we cleaned, silence hung in the air. Tension lingering around us like a heavy fog. Each of us had been holding a heavy weight on our shoulders in Rose's absence and it was evident when we were together that she was constantly on our minds.

Across the room, a sudden succession of loud rings from Vasilisa's phone cut the silence and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She set down the dustpan and brush she was holding and reached into her pocket to fish out the offending object. I watched from the corner of my eye as I continued to pick up the pieces of shattered ceramic by the counter, and I noticed her frown slightly at the screen.

"Hello? Who's calling?"

It had clearly been an unknown number, and I heard both Christian and I sigh in frustration that she had answered. We had both expressed our concern at her doing that, and so had Rose no doubt – especially now that she was Queen. Anybody could be on the other end of the line, compromising her security.

"Rose?!"

My head snapped up at the mention of Roza and I instantly dropped the shattered shards to the floor once more, forgetting the initial task at hand.

"Oh my god, Rose! Can you hear me?"

Within seconds I was across the room and snatching Vasilisa's phone out of her hand at the opportunity to communicate with Rose. My heart pounded against my chest and my face held a look of deep concern and shock – a look mirrored by Christian and Vasilisa as they moved to stand in front of me.

"Roza?! Roza, I'm here," I exclaimed frantically, hoping to hear her voice in response. "Rose?"

"_Please, Lissa, answer me_," I heard her cry, with a heart-breaking sob following soon after, and I realised that she couldn't hear me.

"ебать," I cussed under my breath.

"What's happening? What's going on?" Vasilisa questioned, clutching tightly at Christian's arm.

"I don't think she can hear us," I informed her.

"_You know that doesn't work, right?" _Another voice rang through the phone, followed by a loud crash as Rose obviously dropped the phone in fright. "_What do you think you're doing in here, Rose?"_

My body tensed as I heard the new voice and sensing my new felt concern, Vasilisa and Christian shared worried looks.

"Get Abe here, now. Nathan's with her," I commanded, and Christian and Vasilisa immediately set to work. Christian pulled his own phone from his jacket and the pair turned away to contact Abe, leaving me to listen to the exchange happening on the other end of the phone.

"_Turn around," _I heard Nathan command. _"Turn around, now."_

There was a brief pause as Rose, I guessed, turned around to face him.

"_I asked you a question, Rose. What do you think you're doing in here?"_

I held my breath as I listened intently to their muffled conversation. I felt a surge of pride as I listened to my Roza's voice. Even faced with danger right in front of her she managed to appear calm and collected, hiding the terror I knew she was feeling deep down.

"_You were trying to escape,"_ Nathan stated. _"Unfortunately for you, the phone doesn't work."_

No, it did work! I could hear everything happening.

"_You said. I kind of figured that out when, you know, no one actually answered me."_

We did Roza, we answered!

"_I'm getting pretty tired of your persistence to defy me, Rose. I'm beginning to wonder whether you're worth all this effort."_

"Abe's on his way," Christian informed me as he and Vasilisa turned back towards me, drawing my attention from the phone. I nodded my understanding before focusing once more on Rose.

"_So kill me,"_ she stated. _"End it."_

Oh Roza, you're playing with fire.

"_Tempting." _There was a pause. _"But I couldn't do that. I love you too much."_

A growl escaped my lips at the same time I heard Rose's laughter through the phone.

"_Love? You don't love me. You don't know what love is,"_ She argued. _"Maybe you love the power you hold over me or the pain and terror you cause, but you don't love me."_

The sound of a harsh slap echoed through the phone, followed by a quiet whimper, and I knew that Nathan had struck out at her. Another growl found its way out of my throat and my free hand clenched in anger.

"_How dare you question my love for you,"_ I heard him snarl. _"I. Love. You."_

There was a pause and I strained to hear what was happening on the other end of the phone. _"No,"_ Rose said, _"you don't,"_ and I heard a swift movement as Nathan cried out painfully.

"What's happening?" Christian asked as I took in a sharp intake of breath.

"I think she attacked him," I said through gritted teeth. Vasilisa gasped in fear and clutched Christian's arm tighter.

I listened intently to the cries, shouts and grunts down the phone as the love of my life fought for her own, willed her to use all her strength to defend herself. She was the greatest warrior I knew, and I had all my belief in her that she could defeat him. She had to.

"Come on, Roza." I whispered.

I could hear her fighting valiantly, and I imagined her giving it everything she had. But even through the phone I could hear her growing weary – her grunts and growls as she attacked quickly became more and more cries of pain and my heart grew heavy in my chest as I knew she couldn't take much more.

I heard one final blow and Rose cried out before Nathan spoke again. _"You still haven't learned. Each time you defy me I need to show you who you belong to. And you. Belong. To me."_

I heard Rose whimper through the phone and I knew I couldn't listen any longer. I let out a low, angry growl and bile formed in my throat as I began feeling physically sick. With a shaky hand I removed the phone from my ear and moved towards the counter, carefully placing the phone down in the centre, careful not to hang up the call.

I clutched the edge of the countertop in an effort to control my rage until my knuckles turned white. I was sure that I didn't need to explain what had happened to Christian and Vasilisa, my anger telling them all they needed to know.

* * *

A few moments later, my head snapped up as the door to the apartment swung open violently and Rose's father burst through the door.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" He questioned, moving into the centre of the room and eyeing the three of us worriedly.

"It's Rose," Vasilisa informed him, and pointed towards the phone resting on the counter.

Abe's eyes lit up and he rushed to pick it up, eager to speak with his only child.

"Wait –"

"Kizim?" He questioned as he held the phone to his ear. When he heard Rose on the other end, he visibly paled and his eyes grew dark with rage, before he returned the phone to the countertop. He took a calming breath and briefly closed his eyes to regain composure.

"How long ago did she call?" He asked.

"Maybe five or so minutes?" Vasilisa answered. "I don't think she could hear us."

"I think she was trying to escape and she found a way of contacting us, but she must have dropped the phone when Nathan found her," I suggested. "They don't know we're still on the line – Nathan told her it didn't work."

"Perfect," Abe said, and I furrowed my brow in confusion. "We should be able to trace the call."

Of course! I felt like such an idiot for not realising that sooner.

"There's equipment for that over at the Guardian headquarters. If we can convince Croft to let us, we should be able to find where she is," I informed them, hoping that Croft or Steele wouldn't stand in our way – they had both expressed their concern regarding searching for Rose.

* * *

Picking the phone up from the counter, ensuring not to end the call, we wasted no time in rushing over to the headquarters in search of Guardian Croft.

"Guardian Croft, Sir," I greeted politely as we entered the office.

He looked up from the desk and stood up quickly when he noticed Vasilisa, bowing in her presence. "Your Majesty," he welcomed, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Guardian Croft, it's Rose," she stated.

If I hadn't have anticipated it, I might have missed the subtle roll of his eyes at the realisation of why we were here again.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry but I thought we established this before, it's just too great of a risk to look for her."

Abe stepped forward and offered a handshake, which Croft took politely. "Nice to meet you again, Guardian Croft – Abe Mazur, Rose's father."

"Yes, I remember. I'm sorry Mr Mazur, but there's nothing we can do. Staging a search for your daughter would cost us far too many lives, and that's even if we did know where she was taken."

"Ah, of course, however we have heard from Rose not too long ago. She managed to call us," Abe informed him, before explaining what had happened back at the apartment.

Hans looked troubled, as if tormented by an internal debate as to what he should do. "I'm sorry Mr Mazur, I really am – Rose is a valuable asset to the team and is respected highly by practically everyone here, if the risk wasn't so great we would do all we could to find her but, a rescue for just one person… I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do."

"But there is!" I shouted. "We have a lead now. We can trace the call!" I could feel myself getting worked up, a repeat of the day Roza was taken, but a stern look from the corner of Abe's eye told me to calm down.

Hans sighed in frustration. "Belikov, we –"

"Guardian Croft." Vasilisa interrupted, pushing her way in front of Abe and I, standing fiercely before Guardian Croft. "I'm sorry to say this but you either help us find Rose or so help me God I will do it myself and you can sure as hell kiss your job goodbye!"

The five of us stood there in a stunned silence, shocked at her unexpected ultimatum. In my periphery I could see Christian smirking slightly with pride at his girlfriend's take charge attitude. Hans, however, looked slightly frightened, concerned for the outlook of his job.

"I uh – your Majesty, uh," he stuttered. "I'll see what I can do. Please, follow me."

I sighed in relief, giving Vasilisa a thankful look before we followed Guardian Croft out of the offices and to another floor of the building. Tension engulfed us as we walked in silence and soon we were entering another room, filled with computers and electrical equipment.

* * *

It took Hans a mere minute to triangulate the location of Rose's phone call, finding it to be a large woodland area near Rockville, Pennsylvania – just a fifteen minute drive from Harrisburg. I couldn't help but think my nightmare from last night had been some sort of sign.

"That's only three hours away!" Vasilisa exclaimed. "We have to reach her as soon as possible! Can you leave tonight?"

"Unfortunately that won't be possible – we'll need to gather a team together and inform them of the situation before setting up a plan of action," Hans stated. "It's likely to be a day or so before we can leave, at least."

I could feel the frustration rising, but I knew there was no point in arguing – Hans was right.

"I presume you'll be the first to volunteer, Belikov?" He asked.

"Yes. There's no question about it," I agreed fiercely. "I need to help find her."

He nodded his understanding before informing us that he'd be in touch as soon as possible, leaving the four of us to exit the building, each feeling slightly more positive than we had when we entered.

"I can't believe we heard from Rose," Vasilisa uttered. "I can't believe we're actually getting somewhere with this." Christian put his arm around Lissa lovingly and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She leant into his embrace, seeking comfort in his arms.

"I think we're going to go home and process what has happened," Christian informed us.

I nodded in understanding. "Would you like me to walk you there?" I asked.

"No, no. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Let us know when you hear anything, though," he said before turning away, leading Vasilisa by the waist in the direction of their home, leaving Abe and I standing with one another awkwardly.

I shuffled from foot to foot as a heavy silence surrounded us. Abe had barely spoken to me since Rose went missing, choosing to ignore me the majority of the time, unless it was to make snide remarks at my expense. I knew that he blamed me entirely for the situation, and he clearly held a great amount of resentment towards me.

"Let's have a chat, Dimitri," He said before turning and walking away, leaving me no option but to follow him. We walked in silence, not saying a word to one another the entire journey back to the apartment.

I was the first to break the tension as soon as we sat awkwardly side by side on the sofa. "Abe, I –"

"No, I'll talk first," Abe interjected. "I want to apologise."

I had to fight to keep my jaw from dropping open in shock – Zmey rarely apologised, if ever.

"I want to apologise for the way I've treated you over the last few weeks. I took my anger out on you, placing the blame on your actions and ignoring the real culprit. I can see just how much Rose's disappearance has affected you – you love her, I can see that," he said, and I detected a real sense of sincerity in his voice. He really did feel bad for his actions. "And I understand that you thought you were protecting her, keeping Nathan's threats from her. That wasn't the right choice, I hope you realise that, but I know you did it to try and keep her safe, and I respect that. My daughter's safety means everything to me and I know you were looking out for her."

"Wow, uh, thank you, Abe," I returned. "That means a lot. I'm sorry too, for what it's worth. You don't understand the guilt I feel at not being able to keep her safe. The despair I feel each time I think about what she's going through, or each time Ivashkov comes with more news. It kills me."

"Me too, Son. Me too," he said quietly. "But we're one step closer. We'll get her back – we'll find her."

"We'll find her," I agreed.


	23. Chapter 23

**Rose's POV**

3 days.

I'd been locked in this room for three days. Well, technically I had been locked in this room for 20 days, I think, but it had been 3 days since my pathetic attempt to escape.

3 days.

3 days of isolation. 3 days of starvation.

Nathan had been livid when he found me, and after taking his anger out on me right there in the middle of the office, he had literally _thrown_ me back in my room, threatening that I needed to be punished for my 'disloyalty'. Apparently by trying to escape his clutches I had betrayed him – I had devalued his love and taken him for granted. _Ha._ If I was honest, I thought that, really, he felt threatened - that by managing to escape I had taken his sense of power and control from him.

He didn't like that at all.

He didn't like that I had been able to undermine him. He didn't like that I still held on to my sense of self-worth – that I still had the strength to defend and stick up for myself. He wanted to break me. He wanted to control me until I dedicated my life to him, giving him my body, my heart and eventually my soul.

Well, that wasn't going to happen, and I sure as hell told him that by my escaping. And I was being punished for that.

I hadn't had any contact with anyone in three days – not even Nathan himself had been down to see me. Oleg hadn't scuttled in each day as he usually did with food for me to eat and water to drink, meaning I hadn't been given any sort of nourishment in three days. I briefly recalled a fact in the back of my mind that the human body could only survive for three days without water, but I wasn't human. With our heightened immune system and our enhanced endurance, I was sure that Dhampirs could survive slightly longer without nutrition. But how much longer I was unsure – already I was beginning to grow weary. Every movement I made sent waves of dizziness through my weakened body and I was struggling to stay vigilant.

I didn't know how much longer I could cope.

Isolated in this room with only my thoughts for company, I could feel myself losing the will to carry on. I couldn't help but think of the people I loved back home - the worry they were feeling, their disappointment in me that I let them down. Lissa, Adrian, Christian. Baba. Dimitri…

Dimitri.

Dimitri. _Fuck. _I'd let him down the most. I promised him I'd be okay, that I could look after myself… what a mistake that had been. I'd let Nathan take control of me in a split second of hesitation and now he'd maintained that control for weeks, using his power to demoralise and abuse me for his own primal desires.

I knew that Dimitri had an idea of what I had been going through, and I was sure that he would be disgusted. Disgusted at Nathan for what he had done, disgusted at me for letting him.

_How could he ever look at me the same way now?_

"I'm so sorry," I whispered into thin air as a single tear rolled down my cheek. I wasn't sure who exactly I was directing my words to, but either way it didn't help.

* * *

For hours I sat reflecting on my current situation, trying to muster up some strength and willpower to carry on, until I heard a movement outside the door. As though someone was making their way down the stairs at the end of the corridor. My stomach involuntarily gurgled in anticipation, but somehow I knew that this would not be a welcome visit.

Slowly, I stood up from the bed and backed myself as far into the corner as I could, careful not to move too quickly thanks to my dizziness. Just as I braced myself, I heard the lock click in the door before it gently swung open and a pair of red, menacing eyes entered the room.

Standing as tall as I could manage, I swallowed my fear as Nathan sauntered towards me, his piercing gaze never leaving my own. Once he reached me, he rested his hands on the wall behind me, either side of my shoulders, effectively trapping me between him.

"Rose," he greeted, before lowering his head to mine and placing a lingering kiss on my lips. I had to bite back bile, but didn't dare push him away, scared to anger him more than I knew he already was. Detaching our lips, he pushed himself off the wall and took a step back, still fixing me with his stare.

"I hope you see why I had to punish you, Rose. Did you really think you'd be able to escape?" He asked, with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Did you really think you'd get the better of me?"

Eyes ablaze, with one hand he reached behind his back, pulling something from his back pocket and holding it threateningly in front of him. The knife. The knife that three days ago, I attempted to plunge into his heart.

"Did you really think that this," he moved the knife so the tip rested intimidatingly on my chest, "would have helped you in any way? This wouldn't have killed me. What did you expect would happen?"

I opened my mouth to respond but instead he interjected. "Actually no, don't answer. I don't care," he spat, lowering the knife and turning away briefly to pace the room. "I just don't understand why you would do this to me. Why you would betray me the way you did. I care for you Rose. We could be so great. We could be so powerful. Together. We could build an empire. Greater than Belikov ever did. You and me. Together."

He stopped pacing and turned towards me once more, still clutching the knife in his hand. "Which is why," he began, walking towards me again, "I've decided that it's in my best interest to turn you. To share with you the greatest sense of power you will ever feel in your life. That way, you'll be mine forever."

_Shit._

Nathan stopped in front of me and traced a line down the side of my curves with his free hand, and a look of pure desire flooded his red eyes. "Sure, I'll miss your Dhampir form, how great you feel, just knowing how easily I could break you," he sneered, "but I'm intrigued to see what you'll be like as one of my own. Beautiful. We will be so powerful together - you wouldn't ever want to leave me."

He chortled, "and not to mention the sex would be amazing!"

_Shit, shit, shit! _I had to get out of here.

"Don't look so frightened, Rose."

I could feel my heart rate elevating as the seconds passed and my legs were growing tired from standing - the days without nutrition taking its toll and only adding to my panic. Taking a deep breath, I calmed myself. "I'm not," I lied.

"You are, I can see it. But don't worry, there's no need. Just think what we could do…"

Nathan closed his eyes tight and his smirk deepened, as if imagining all sorts of terror he could inflict upon the world.

"We could easily take down Belikov. He wouldn't stand a chance against us two… together. And imagine how valuable all those secrets inside your pretty little head could be – we could finally take down the monarchy, and take our rightful place on the throne. Together."

No.

_No._

That wouldn't happen.

I wouldn't let it.

I had to stop him, even if I got myself killed in the process.

Without a second thought, I rushed forward and collided into him, ignoring the screams of protest my body was shouting at me. Mirroring the events in the office, I had caught Nathan off guard, giving me the slight advantage to take control. I couldn't waste the opportunity this time.

Knocking him to the floor, I managed to trap him beneath my body weight, striking out and slamming his head to the floor with a nasty crash. He cried out in pain, but it wasn't long before he began to retaliate and, unfortunately for me, he still had the knife in his hands.

And he realised that too.

"Fucking bitch!" He yelled, thrashing wildly underneath me and trying to knock me off him. He used his free hand to land an uppercut on my jaw, causing my already painful head to spin and my vision to blur as I fell backwards.

He was on me in seconds, and I barely had time to react before the knife came hurtling towards my chest. I rolled out of his reach, the knife missing my upper body and instead slicing along my bare thigh with an agonizing sting. I gritted my teeth through the pain, focusing what was left of my strength on the fight before me.

_We could easily take down Belikov…_

I scrambled to my feet quickly, ignoring the screams of protest from my leg as I felt the blood trail down from the open wound.

_Take down the monarchy…_

I struck out and landed a harsh blow to his stomach and then a subsequent hit to the side of his head as he keeled over.

_Our rightful place on the throne…_

I heard myself growl ferociously as I forced him to the floor once more before attacking him with all the willpower I could muster. With one particularly strong hit, I managed to release the knife from his grip and it fell to the floor with a piercing clatter. A look of fear flashed across Nathan's face as I stole the knife for myself before trapping him beneath me again.

I wouldn't lose my opportunity this time.

"Rose…" he uttered as he struggled beneath me.

"No," I growled. "I'm not letting you destroy me or the people I love any more than you already have."

I lined up my shot precisely before plunging deep into his chest without hesitation, the knife piercing his heart as he let out a painful cry just seconds before falling unconscious. An intense silence engulfed the room, only broken by my heavy breathing as I processed what had happened.

I won.

I had _finally_ won. With unprecedented willpower and strength I had finally beaten him.

My body ached and my head span from the dehydration and general weariness, but I couldn't waste a moment – Nathan wouldn't be out for long. I scrambled to my feet and flew out the room without so much as a second glance towards my prison and my captor lying unconscious on the floor.

* * *

I hurtled along the corridor and up the stairs, yanking the door open before coming face to face with a deeply battered and bruised Oleg. He had obviously received his own punishment for allowing me to escape the first time – there wasn't an inch of his skin that wasn't discoloured.

Oleg's eyes widened in shock as he registered what was happening, and he began backing away from me in fear. Breathing heavily and trying not to let my exhaustion get the better of me, I fixed him with a menacing glare before pointing to the door to my right – the door that led to my freedom.

"Open it," I wheezed. "Now."

He frantically shook his head and backed away even further, but with a painful grip I pulled him back to me, his eyes now so wide they were practically bulging out of his head.

"Open the door, or I swear to God I _will_ kill you. I don't even care. I'm getting out of here right now and the only thing standing in my way is you and that goddamn door, so if I were you I'd do as you're told and open the _fucking_ door!"

My grip on his arm tightened and he let out a terrified whimper before reluctantly nodding in submission. Agonisingly slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, my heart soaring in my chest at the sight.

I was going to be free.

As soon as the lock in the door clicked open I let out a shaky breath of relief - shocked and overwhelmed that this was actually happening. Without any trace of guilt or hesitation, I released my grip on Oleg's arm before knocking him unconscious. I knew that Nathan would wake soon, and with the sun beginning to set, I couldn't have Oleg damaging my escape, informing him of the direction I ran. If he was out of it, that couldn't happen.

After lowering his body gently to the floor, I quickly turned back to the door and pulled it open, slightly disheartened to see that I had been right three days ago – we were certainly off the beaten track. Outside the building I was met with what seemed like miles and miles of trees, surrounded by a blanket of forest that I was sure would take hours to navigate on foot.

But it was my only option.

If I was caught now, I had no doubt that Nathan would end it all. His plans of turning me would now be out the window, I knew he would take great pleasure in tearing me limb from limb until I died a painful death – even if he did claim to love me.

My bare feet took off away from the house as fast as they could carry my tired and bruised body, the cut on my leg still oozing blood and shouting profanities at me. The ground beneath my feet was painful to tread with the sticks and twigs jarring into my soles with every step. But I didn't waver. I couldn't give up.

* * *

I ran as far as I could and as quickly as I could for what felt like hours, and still the forest seemed never ending. Every direction I looked I came across more and more trees, their branches snagging on my arms as I ran and catching on the silk babydoll I was always forced to wear.

I was running, literally, on sheer willpower. But even that was quickly fading. I could feel my mind growing distant from my weary body as my legs gave way with every step I took and soon I was on the ground, keeled over and struggling to breathe.

The sun had almost disappeared completely, the trees casting a canopy of shade across the ground beneath them, and I knew it wouldn't be long before Nathan or other groups of Strigoi found me lying here like easy prey. But despite the looming threat I couldn't find the strength to pull myself up. My vision was blurring, flitting in and out of darkness, my head felt heavy and the pain in my leg was now excruciating.

I couldn't go on.

I started to hear movement in the distance, but I was unsure of the direction. I couldn't tell if it was Nathan or some other lucky Strigoi about to come across their first meal of the day, but to be honest I didn't care.

I was done.

My vision blurred once more and this time it didn't correct itself.

"I'm so sorry," I managed to utter, just as I was plunged into darkness, my hands and knees giving way beneath me. I slumped to the forest floor, awaiting my death, just as I caught the sound of a voice carrying in the wind towards me.

"Roza?! _Roza_!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Rose's POV**

I was in a hospital.

I hadn't even needed to open my eyes I knew I was in a hospital - the nauseating stench of disinfectant and chemicals was lingering in the air around me and I immediately recognised where I was. Years of coming in and out of the hospital at St Vlad's due to countless injuries meant the smell was permanently etched into my memory.

But why was I here?

_How _was I here?

I remember running. Running for miles and miles through the trees, willing myself to push on through the weariness and pain, as far away from that monster as I could get, until finally I couldn't go on any further and the darkness of death consumed me. I remembered it clearly – falling to my knees, struggling for breath, closing my eyes one last time… I knew I was dying because I heard _his _voice. Dimitri's voice. And with him, I was in Heaven.

Yet here I was – alive, somehow, and in the cold confines of a hospital.

Gaining control over my body, I opened my eyes slowly, immediately regretting my decision and snapping them shut again as the blinding light hit me. _Fuck._ I tried again, this time opening them gradually and blinking to adjust to the light. When I opened them fully, I was met with the confirmation that, yes, I was lying in a hospital bed. White walls surrounded me and the quiet hum of medical equipment echoed off them, filling the silence.

A quiet groan escaped my lips as pain shot through my body as I tried sitting up in the not so comfy bed, but I was surprised that the pain wasn't as debilitating as I thought it would be. I quietly took in my surroundings, trying to get my head around what was happening. I was so confused – I should be dead. I was with Dimitri, in his arms. Happy.

But he wasn't here now…

Even in my confusion, I was silently thankful for that fact – I couldn't face him, I couldn't see him. Not after betraying him the way I did. I'm sure he could barely look at me, knowing what I let Nathan do to me. He wouldn't be able to stand me.

It was better that he wasn't here.

* * *

As I sat in the silence of the room, I couldn't stop the tears flowing down my cheeks.

I was free. I was alive. I was safe.

A slight movement to my left nearly had me jumping out of my skin, and I immediately went on edge. Looking for the source of the movement, I looked to the side of the room and saw someone I hadn't noticed before, fast asleep on the chair next to my bed. Realising who it was, I let out a sigh of relief, instantly feeling safe in his presence.

I tried saying his name, but the painful scratching in my throat halted my speech. I coughed and tried again.

"Adrian…" I managed to say, even if it did come out hoarse. "Adrian?"

He didn't stir, and I tentatively reached out to his knee, shaking his leg gently. With my touch, he immediately awoke, worry filling his eyes as he scanned the room. When his gaze settled on mine, the worry disappeared and he visibly relaxed.

"Hey Little Dhampir," he greeted with a yawn and a grin. "How are you feeling?"

"Confused," I admitted, sitting back on the bed. I narrowed my eyes as I looked down at my hands. They should be bruised, scarred, but they weren't. "Where am I?"

"Court. You're home now."

_Home…_

"What happened?"

Adrian sat forward and took one of my hands in his own. "A lot," he said.

"How am I here? How did you find me?" I questioned.

"When you phoned Lissa, the guardians were able to trace your location."

_The phone call? _"But- it didn't work. Nathan said – he said it didn't work. I couldn't hear her, it didn't connect…"

"It did, Rose. She heard you."

My breath hitched in my throat and more tears threatened to spill over my eyes. She heard me… The whole time I was fighting with Nathan I thought I was alone, I thought my attempt at escape had been for nothing, but… she heard me. She heard me…

"When they found you, you were barely alive. You were severely dehydrated, covered in scratches and bruises. Your leg in particular was so cut up."

_My leg?_

_Shit._

I remember the knife. The knife coming down full force into my thigh… The blood gushing down my leg as I desperately fought for my life…

"We weren't sure you were going to make it."

_I wasn't sure either…_

"But I'm here," I said, the odd mixture of confusion and triumph lacing my voice.

"Yes you are," Adrian chuckled. "Lissa and I both did what we could as soon as they got you here. And the nurses hooked you up with fluids as soon as Dimitri brought you in. He practically shouted the whole hospital down trying to get you help."

_Dimitri…_

So I _had_ heard him. When I thought I was dying, he had been there. He came for me. My head started spinning and I started to feel nauseous – there was so much to take in.

"Where – Where is he?"

I pulled my hand from Adrian's grasp and anxiously clutched my hands together. I couldn't see him, I couldn't…

"He's outside." I didn't miss the anxious look flash across Adrian's face as he spoke "He hasn't left, even after you…" Adrian lowered his gaze to the floor and ran a hand through his dishevelled hair.

"After I what?"

"You screamed at him Rose. At everyone."

"_What? _When? How?"

"You woke up a couple of days ago," he admitted. _I didn't remember_… "but they had to sedate you. You were delirious. Every time anyone came near you, you flipped. Screaming and crying. You had a panic attack whenever anyone came in that wasn't me or the nurse."

I couldn't stop my mouth from opening in shock, but it made sense considering the anxiety I was currently feeling at the prospect of seeing Dimitri. My chest felt like it was being constricted and my head felt heavy. I couldn't face him… No wonder I flipped out.

"When Eddie was here… Your dad… You freaked out when Christian was here too, but that's understandable really…" He added, attempting to make a joke out of the situation in true 'Adrian' form.

"But Dim- Dimitri? I screamed at him?" I questioned, narrowing my eyes in confusion.

"Mhmm," He confirmed. "You wouldn't calm down until he was out of the room."

"I don't remember…"

"I'm not surprised, Rose. You weren't yourself."

A knock at the door had my breathing elevate within seconds and the tight feeling in my chest increased to the point that it was painful. I didn't want to see anyone, I couldn't face them. I was about to dismiss whoever had knocked but Adrian reached across and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Relax, Rose. It's just the nurse."

"Sorry to interrupt," A lady in her mid-forties said, entering the room and closing the door behind her. I let out a shaky breath and sunk further back into the bed when I saw that it was indeed the nurse. "I'm glad you're awake, Rose. How are you feeling?"

"Confused. Tired."

"That's understandable. You were out for just over two days," she told me, walking around to the side of my bed and pushing some buttons on the machines before making some notes on her clipboard. "We managed to get plenty of fluids back into you, but other than that it was mostly Queen Vasilisa and Lord Ivashkov that did the work."

She gave me a soft smile and I could feel warmth and care radiating from her - a feeling I hadn't come across over the last few weeks – and more tears ran down my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to cry," I said, wiping away my tears as Adrian's thumb caressed the back of my hand softy.

"It's fine, Rose, you've been through a lot. No doubt there is a lot for you to take in. There are people that you can talk to – if you want to that is, when you're feeling better," she shot me a sympathetic look and a kind smile before turning back to her chart. "I just need to take some readings and then I'll be out of your hair. I'll be back later to check on you. Is there anyone I can get for you, now that you're awake?"

"No," I said, without hesitation. "No – I don't want to see anyone. I can't."

* * *

Once the nurse left, Adrian and I sat in a comfortable silence. I think he knew that I just needed to sit – to just _be_, for a while. Just five, six days ago - I didn't know any more – I was trapped in a dark, dingy, old room being both physically and emotionally abused by a monster. I felt useless, guilty, pathetic… you name it. And now I was here, back at court. Safe.

"Thank you, Adrian," I broke the silence. "For helping me."

"Of course, Rose. I wasn't going to let you suffer in pain was I? You were so beat up…"

"No, I mean – thank you for _that_, obviously, but thank you for looking after me. I don't think I'd have made it through it without you." I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, blocking out the images threatening to force their way into my head. "What he did to me… I don't think I'll ever get over it, but I feel safe with you here."

"Rose, I –"

"No Adrian, please. I'm serious. There were so many times I nearly gave up, but every time I saw you, when you came to me in my dreams, you helped me. I felt safe again."

Adrian met my gaze with a smile, but I didn't miss the sad look in his eyes as he spoke.

"Rose… do you want to see him? Dimitri? I know he's just going crazy out there. He needs to see you, to be with you."

"No Adrian, please… I can't," I mumbled. "I can't face him, not after what I did…"

"What _you_ did? Rose, you didn't do anything wrong!"

"I _did_, Adrian!" I started sobbing and my shoulders began to shake as once again tears spilled over my cheeks. _Pathetic…_ "I could have stopped him, I tried, but he still – he still hurt me. I let him hurt me and now Dimitri hates me."

"He doesn't Rose. I promise. The whole time you were… gone… he was looking for you. It killed him to not do any more to help you. He hardly slept, he hardly ate. He was going crazy looking for you."

"I can't Adrian, I'm sorry…"

"I understand, Rose. But he doesn't hate you. He loves you."

A quiet whimper escaped my lips and Adrian immediately reached out across the gap between my bed and his chair and enveloped me in a hug, letting me cry into his shoulder as I clutched his shirt in my fists tightly. I was safe. With Adrian I was safe.

After a few minutes I finally calmed down and released Adrian from my grip.

"I'm afraid to ask this, but," I began, "what happened? After they found me in the woods?" I took a deep breath in anticipation. "What happened with… Nathan?"

Adrian's breathing caught briefly and his eyes clenched shut – he had been anticipating this question and I knew he didn't want to give me the answer.

"Adrian…"

"After they found you, they found the house."

"Did they get him? Nathan?"

"Rose, there was no one there. We don't know where he is."

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

The damn door was _still _staring at me. Teasing me. Taunting me, knowing that I couldn't go through it.

It had been two days, and each day was the same. Staring at this damn closed door that held me from the love of my life.

The relief I felt when I found her in the woods was overwhelming, followed by extreme worry and heartbreak at the state she was in. I had found her, she was safe… but the ache that tore through my chest when I saw her collapse was crushing. The blood. The bruises painting her body, the marks between her thighs… it took all I had not to rush off and find that bastard and kill him myself. But I knew Roza needed me. She needed me to help her.

When I reached her, after calling out her name, I didn't hesitate to lift her into my arms, holding her close to my chest as I took off back to our vehicles. I didn't bother to stop the tears from flowing down my cheeks as we drove back to Court, keeping her in my arms and silently pleading her to stay with me.

Both Vasilisa and Adrian were just inside the gates when we arrived and they immediately set to work – Vasilisa fighting back her sobs as she helped her best friend. When the bruises started fading from her body and the gash on her leg closed, the feeling of relief took over once again. She was okay.

Or so I thought.

Rose's reaction when she woke up was heart wrenching to say the least. The happiness I felt when she finally opened her eyes was quickly replaced with terror as her gaze landed on mine and she started screaming, wailing, crying… I tried to ask her what was happening, what was going on, but she wouldn't stop. She wouldn't stop crying until I left the room.

And I've been on this side of the _damn_ door ever since.

I needed to be with her. She'd been taken away from me for too long and I needed her back with me. I didn't know how to exist anymore without Rose, and the whole time she was missing was torture. And now I couldn't get anywhere near her without her crying, and each time it broke my heart into more and more pieces.

To make matters worse, the team of Guardians allocated to finding the house and_, him,_ had reported that they hadn't been successful – the house had been empty when they searched it. He had hurt Rose in more ways than one for weeks on end and he was just – gone.

The rage that tore through my body when I learned he was missing rivalled the rage I felt when Rose was first taken. He had to pay. We needed to find him and make him pay. I would make sure he suffered for what he put Rose through.

* * *

The nurse suddenly emerging from Roza's room brought me out of my thoughts and I immediately jumped up from where had been sat waiting.

"Is she okay?" I questioned frantically.

"She's awake. She's a little disoriented and confused but, she's okay it seems."

"Can I see her?"

I already knew the answer from the nurse's sympathetic look and sad smile.

"She's not ready to see anyone. I think it's best to leave her for now, I'm sorry. We don't want her to react as she did before."

I nodded reluctantly, not bothering to hide the sadness from my face.

"Just give her time. She needs to process everything," she added before walking away.

I slumped back down on the chair and let my head fall into my hands, my dishevelled hair falling lose in front of my face. If Rose needed time, I would give her it, but there was no way I was leaving her side. I would wait outside this door for as long as it took.

I loved her, and I would always be there for her no matter what.


	25. Chapter 25

**Dimitri's POV ** _– 3 days later, (5 days after rescue)_

Rose was being released from the hospital today, finally. After a few days of examinations and tests, and of me being isolated outside the door, she was finally able to come home. I could not describe how elated I was when I was told she had agreed to come home. She still had yet to even look at me, but the fact that she agreed to come back with me to our apartment was a step in the right direction. It meant that she felt as though she could be around me without freaking out, without being so terrified to the point that she had a panic attack. I knew that she had long way to go, we all did, but this small step was heart-warming.

The positive feeling was much appreciated, especially after the sadness I was feeling at being separated from Rose. A day or so after she woke up for the second time, I was truly worried that Rose might be too far gone, that because I had been unable to keep her safe, she resented me and blamed me for her traumatic ordeal. I was petrified that she wouldn't accept me back into her life - that she wouldn't allow me to love and look after her as I so desperately needed to.

A few kind words from none other than Adrian was all it took for me to keep holding on to my hope that everything would be okay - that I would be able to spend the rest of my life making up for letting Rose down, showing her that I would always lay down my life for hers.

_ Flashback _

_As I sat in my usual spot outside Rose's hospital room, her nurse scurried past and let herself through the door. Not thirty seconds later, Adrian emerged and made his way over to me, taking the seat next to mine._

"_Hey man," he greeted._

"_Adrian."_

"_The nurse is just running some tests - I thought it was best I left the room. How are you holding up?" he asked. I could feel his eyes on me as I sat hunched forward, with my elbows on my knees._

"_Not great," I admitted. It didn't matter how I was right now – all that mattered was her. "How is she?"_

"_A bit better, more talkative," he told me sincerely. "She still on edge though, every time the door opens she jumps."_

_My Roza. She was hurting so badly. We were all here to help her, yet all she could see was terror._

"_I need to see her," I said, letting out a shaky breath. I ran a hand through my loose hair and sat back in my seat to face Adrian. It had been five days since we found Rose - three days since her freak out and my 'banishment' from her bedside - and I was beginning to feel restless, useless, dejected… I needed to see for myself that she was okay. I needed to be with her. I needed to tell her I was sorry, and that I loved her._

"_I know," Adrian acknowledged, recognising my desperation. "She needs to see you too - she just hasn't realised it."_

"_When do you think I could see her without upsetting her?"_

"_I'm not sure," he admitted. "I can't work out if she's afraid, or just worried about what you think of her."_

"_Afraid?" I questioned, the confusion and horror clear in my tone. "She doesn't need to be afraid of me, I would never hurt her – she knows that."_

"_I know she does, but right now I don't think she's thinking rationally. She's displacing her trauma and her fear of Nathan and what he did onto you."_

"_I want to help her. I need her to know that I still love her." I slumped forward in my seat once more, resting my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. "I don't blame her for what happened."_

_It wasn't Rose's fault. None of this was Rose's fault._

"_She's still processing everything," Adrian told me as he rested a comforting hand on my shoulder. "But I know that she loves you. She just needs time."_

* * *

It was comforting talking to Adrian. Despite everything that had happened, and despite the unspoken issues between us, we had one common goal: Rose's happiness. I knew that he loved Rose, maybe not in the way he used to, but in the way that he still cared for her and would do anything to protect her. I saw it when he first found out she was missing. The anger he showed towards me at that moment in time was powerful. He wanted Rose to be happy, and that meant giving up on his love for her to allow her to be with me – to be happy. And he trusted me to protect her, to which I failed. After all of this, he still believed that Rose was meant for me, and he needed to make nice with me in order to aid her happiness. He knew deep down that Rose needed me and I needed her, so it was comforting to talk to him and hear him say that she still loved me. If anybody knew Rose, besides me, it was him – I knew his words held truth.

I just needed to give Rose time. She had been through so much horror, so much pain; of course she was going to be scared. Of course she wouldn't be herself. But I knew that, in time, she would be. With Adrian's help, my help, Vasilisa's help… she would be okay. But she needed to reach that place where she could accept our help, and that meant giving her time to process everything.

I hoped that being back in her own home, in her own space, Rose would begin to move forward and feel safer. I was curious, however, as to how she would react with me being in such close proximity. I would do anything to make sure she was comfortable and happy, but I couldn't bare it if she felt frightened in her own home because of me.

* * *

I sat waiting outside of the hospital room, worrying as usual about Rose, when eventually I heard footsteps on the other side of the door, heading towards my direction. The door edged open and I could feel my heart soar as soon as I laid my eyes on Rose, before aching in grief when she wouldn't meet my gaze. She stared down at the floor, her hand clutching Adrian's elbow so tightly it was as if she thought he would disappear if she let go.

Adrian offered me a sympathetic look, before leading Rose down the corridor in the direction of the hospital exit. I stood dumfounded for a moment, before turning and following behind them. I couldn't help the stab of jealousy I felt as I watched my love walk away from me, with another man's arm wrapped around her. I knew completely that it was nothing more than the provision of comfort from a friend, but it hurt to know that it wasn't me to be the one to help her and make her feel safe.

After making our way outside, we walked in silence along the empty streets as the three of us made our way back home. To _our_ home…

I could sense the anxiety radiating from Rose as she walked, and I knew she was feeling uncomfortable being around me. Fortunately, at five o'clock, it was very early in the Moroi day and Court was quiet, meaning we wouldn't pass too many people. I hoped that Rose took comfort in that fact.

Reluctantly though, I kept my distance, staying five or so feet behind her as she walked beside Adrian. I couldn't stop myself feeling like their Guardian, the silent presence behind them, rather than her boyfriend - her partner, her safety net. And it killed me.

Watching her intently as we headed in the direction of our apartment building, I couldn't help but appreciate her beauty. Even after the weeks of torment and damage to her body, she still looked gorgeous, the golden rays of the sunset reflecting off her dark locks of hair – hair that I so desperately wanted to reach out and touch – causing them to glow a wonderful shade of brown.

I felt so incredibly lucky to have someone as wonderful as her in my life, so grateful at the fact I could call her mine – she was so strong-willed, so resilient. Powerful. Despite everything that she had been through, she survived. With no help from anyone, she got herself out of her torture. She saved _herself_, and I was indescribably proud.

The silence continued as we reached our building and climbed the stairs, even as Adrian pulled Rose to the side in order to let me pass and unlock the door to our apartment. I tried to catch Rose's eye as I retrieved my keys from the pocket of the duster, but she still had her gaze fixed to the floor, refusing to look up and in my direction.

With a sigh, I turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open before walking inside and dropping my keys on the countertop.

"Home sweet home…"

I hoped Rose would relax slightly once she was in a familiar, comforting environment but, still without uttering a word, she swiftly let go of Adrian's arm and hurried into the bedroom, promptly shutting the door behind her. The sound of the lock turning shortly followed, and I could do nothing but stare after her helplessly. Instinctively, I ran a hand through my hair in desperation, unsure how to respond. Did I try and reach out to her? Leave her to herself for a while until she was ready to talk?

"Remember what I said," Adrian broke the silence, answering my unspoken questions as he appeared beside where I stood staring at the bedroom door. "Just give her time. Be there for her when she realises she needs you."

"Thank you, Adrian," I said with a sad smile.

"What for?"

"For – I don't know. You're always there for her, even though she – we – hurt you."

"I want her to be happy," he shrugged before shoving his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "She's happy with you. You're the one she belongs with."

"I just wish she would talk to me," I sighed. Leaning my elbows on the counter in front of me, I took a calming breath in an effort to collect myself. "Feel free to stay," I offered. "I'm sure she'd be happier knowing you're here."

"It's okay - I should head home myself… I'm sure she'll be fine, you know. As I said, just give her space," he said, before heading to the front door.

"Adrian?" I asked, stopping him just as he reached for the handle. "I'm sure she'd feel better if you were here. The door's always open."

He nodded. "I'll come and see how she is tomorrow."

* * *

The Next Day

Rose didn't venture out of our bedroom for the entire day, choosing to stay behind the safety of the locked door. Even the offer of food didn't tempt her, and I spent the day pacing with worry, unsure of what I should be doing to help her. When night came, and I hadn't had any indication that she was even _in_ the bedroom, I began to worry even more. Desperate for any kind of response, I stood outside the door, begging for any sort of reply so that I knew she was okay. I almost resorted to breaking the door down, until I finally heard a small croak of "I'm fine."

It wasn't much, and in all honestly only made me worry more – but it was enough to tell me that she was here, she was alive. She was back in her own home.

Unsurprisingly, I didn't sleep well on the sofa, and I was unable to sleep for most of the night. My mind was constantly worrying and listening out for Rose, but she didn't make a sound. I couldn't help but recollect the nights a few months back, when I was _willingly_ sleeping out on the sofa because I was so afraid of hurting her. I almost longed for those nights now, instead of sleeping out here because she _had _been hurt, and because she _was_ afraid.

Unable to get into the bedroom to change, I took a quick shower before dressing in the same clothes as the day before. Having missed so many shifts with Christian, I knew I had to finally go to work, despite the fact that my heart and my mind were urging me to stay and wait for Rose to come out. Somehow, though, I knew that wouldn't happen just yet.

"Roza?" I asked through the door, waiting to see if I would get a response. When I got none, I sighed dejectedly. "I'm supposed to be on shift with Christian soon. Will you be okay?"

Silence.

"I'll be back later."

Silence.

"I love you."

* * *

"How's Rose doing?" Christian asked as we walked back from training. "Lissa's restless wanting to see her."

"I don't know, actually." I replied honestly. "She's still not talking to me. She came home yesterday and hasn't come out of the bedroom."

"Wow."

"I understand though. She's afraid."

"Yeah but, Dimitri, it's you – she loves you," Christian said, the mixture of confusion and sadness clear in his voice.

"I know. She just needs time, and I'm going to give her that. I'll give her as long as it takes."

"How do _you_ feel about everything?" He asked as we entered through the front door, before heading into the living room.

"I don't know. I don't know what to think," I said, slumping down onto one of the sofas, as Christian sat opposite. "I had _so _much anger towards Nathan for taking her, and for what he did to her. But deep down I know that I was to blame for it all –"

Christian opened his mouth to protest.

"No, I know what you're going to say, so don't. It's my fault she was taken."

_My fault she was hurting now…_

"And when we found her again I was elated. I never wanted to let her out of my arms again, but now… Now she won't even look at me. I promised I would always look after her, protect her, help her… and I can't. She won't let me."

Seeing my despair, Christian stood up from where he sat made his way over to me, placing a comforting arm on my back as I spilled everything I was feeling. How helpless I felt, unable to comfort Rose. The guilt I felt at allowing her to be taken in the first place. The anger I felt knowing Nathan defiled her, broke her, hurt her…

"You don't have to be here you know, Dimitri. I don't need protecting in my own home – Rose does. She needs you."

* * *

With the blessing from Christian to head home to Rose, where I _needed_ to be, I raced home – only to, unsurprisingly, find an empty apartment.

"Roza?" I called out. "I'm home."

I stopped outside the bedroom door, knocking once before waiting for a response.

It never came.

"Roza, I know you don't want to talk, but I just need to know you're okay. That you're still here," I said, leaning my shoulder against the door frame. "Rose?"

"I'm fine," she uttered, in a repeat of yesterday. I knew she was far from fine, but the knowledge that she was still here, and willing to say those two words to me –at least – was comforting. With a small, sad smile, I pushed myself off from where I leant on the door, telling her I was just outside if she needed anything before retreating once more to the sofa.

I spent a while on the phone with Mama, seeking comfort from her even with the distance between us. She had been beside herself with worry at Rose's disappearance – I knew she loved her as her own daughter. But with everything happening, I had barely had the chance to speak with her and give her updates. Now though, with Rose isolated in the bedroom, I took the opportunity to tell her everything, allowing myself to get everything I was feeling off my chest. An hour or so later and, unashamedly, many tears later, I said goodbye, feeling much happier. I decided that yes, I would give Rose time, but I couldn't let her isolate her to the point of no return. She needed to come to terms with what had happened, and in order to move forward, she needed to know that it wasn't her fault, that I didn't blame her. Adrian had said she was worried about what I thought of her, and I needed her to know that I still loved her just the same, if not more. My complete and utter terror when she was missing showed me just how much I valued her, how much she meant to me. Tomorrow, I'd do all it took to break down the barriers she was putting up around herself.

Now though, I could feel the lack of sleep taking its toll on me, and I decided that while Rose was still in the bedroom, I would try and sleep on the sofa once more.

* * *

Not two hours later, a piercing scream startled me from where I lay asleep. My heart sank in my chest and within seconds I was across the room and outside the door to our bedroom, where I could hear Rose sobbing from behind the door.

"Roza?!" I exclaimed, panicking. "Rose, what's wrong? You need to let me in."

"Please -" I heard her whimper. "Please, Nathan!"

I knew that knocking the door down would undoubtedly scare her more, but I could hear that she was hysterical – she needed someone to be there for her and comfort her. And, selfishly, I needed to be that person. Standing on the opposite side of the door listening to her scream, sob and cry was painful. Every whimper made my heart even heavier, knowing the terror she was experiencing.

Making my decision, I struck out at the door, using my shoulder to ram it open. It took a few hits to break the door from its lock, but it was no match for my strength and pure determination to get to Rose. I burst into the room as soon as the door swung open to find Rose crying into her knees, backed as far as she could into the corner of our bed.

"Roza?" I asked tentatively, slowly edging closer to her.

Her head shot up and her terrified, bloodshot eyes looked into mine - for the first time in weeks.

"Don't," she cried, trying to back even further away from me.

"Rose -"

"Adrian-" she managed to choke out in between sobs, causing my heart to snap in two. "Please, I need Adrian."

_Adrian._

She needed _Adrian_.

She didn't need me. She was in pain – terrified – breaking down right in front of me, and she didn't need me. She needed Adrian.

I fought back the ache in my chest and the knot in my stomach as I reluctantly backed away, reaching for my phone as she continued to sob in the middle of our bed. My whole body ached and a lump formed in my throat, knowing I couldn't help her. Knowing she didn't_ want_ me to help her.

I dialled Adrian's number and held the phone to my ear, staring helplessly at the love of my life crying her eyes out in front of me. It barely rang once before he answered.

"_Hello?"_

"Adrian, it's Dimitri," I said, fighting back my own anguish. "Rose needs you."

"_I'll be right there."_


	26. Chapter 26

**Rose's POV**

_Running. Always running. Barefoot. Bruised._

_Trees - so many trees. In front. To my Left. Right. Behind. Always so many trees._

_I couldn't seem to escape. No matter how far I ran, I couldn't get out of this canopy surrounding me. My desperation was painful – I needed to get out of here. Away from here. Away from him._

_He couldn't hurt me anymore._

_Stumbling through the thick branches, I felt my elation as I came to a clearing - I could see a house in the distance. I felt free._

_I broke off into a sprint, running towards the orange glow from the windows, hoping and praying to find help._

_I screamed at the top of my lungs to open the door, to let me in, to help me. Desperate tears flowed down my cheeks as I reached the door, banging on the dark wood as hard as I could until it swung open in front of me._

_No._

_Please, no._

"_Rose," the man in front of me snarled, his lips curling upwards in a smirk to reveal his pointed teeth. "I knew you would come back to me. I knew you would give in. I knew you would realise you can't be without me."_

_My body began to tremble as I backed away from the monster in front of me, desperately searching the area around me for points of exit._

_I needed to escape._

_I needed to get away from him._

_I took barely three steps before I found myself backing into someone standing close behind me._

_My head snapped up to the door frame, only to find it empty. Arms snaked around my chest tightly and I felt his hot breath on my neck, just below my ears._

"_Why did you try to leave, Rose?" He whispered, licking a line from the base of my neck up to my ear lobe. "Why don't you just love me?" His fangs traced the skin of my neck. "Let me show you how much I love you."_

_Without warning, his teeth sank into my neck and suddenly the forest around us dissipated. I found my self bound to a bed, in a dark room. In _ _ that _ _ room._

_He was standing at the foot of the bed, staring at me intensely, his desire for me clear in his eyes, in his smile, in his pants…_

"_Please…" I managed to choke out before he lunged, pinning me down beneath his body weight and I screamed. I yelled until my throat hurt._

"_Please -" I whimpered. "Please, Nathan!"_

* * *

A loud bang echoed across the room. Then another and another, drawing me out of my nightmare. As my eyes fluttered open in a panic, I struggled to stop the tears from falling over my face and the screams and whimpers from escaping my throat.

I was home. _Actually_ home. Why then was someone trying to break into my bedroom? Terrified and disoriented from my dream, I backed myself into the corner of the bed, drawing my knees up to my chest and sobbing into my elbows.

The banging continued until the door finally gave way and detached from its lock, and I flinched when I heard the cause of the intrusion enter the room and head towards me.

"Roza?" they asked tentatively, slowly edging closer to me.

_Dimitri._

My head shot up and his worried filled eyes met mine.

"Don't," I cried, trying to back even further away from him. He couldn't be here. He couldn't see me like this.

"Rose -"

"Adrian-" I managed to choke out in between sobs. "Please, I need Adrian."

I didn't miss the flash of pain across Dimitri's face, but my feelings of guilt were overpowered by panic and an overwhelming need to be with Adrian.

Dimitri reluctantly backed away, fetching his phone from his pocket as I continued to sob in the middle of our bed. He held the phone to his ear and not five seconds later, greeted Adrian on the other end of the phone.

"Adrian, it's Dimitri," he said, his voice strained with emotion. "Rose needs you."

He lowered his gaze as he returned his phone to his pocket.

"He's on his way," he told me, before reluctantly turning and leaving me alone once more. Through my sobs, I briefly heard the door to the bathroom open and close in the distance.

I needed Adrian. I needed him to be here and help me. I was panicking. I was hurt. I needed help. And Adrian had been the one to provide that help, that comfort, for the last three weeks. Every time I felt like I couldn't carry on, felt like giving up, he visited me in my dreams and held me. He told me everything was going to be okay. He gave me the strength to defend myself from Nathan's cold, harsh grasp.

Not five minutes later, I heard the door to the apartment burst open and, shortly after, Adrian came rushing into the bedroom, finding me hyperventilating into my knees. He immediately rushed forward and onto the bed next to me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into his chest. My hands clutched his shirt tightly as I cried into him, his hands smoothing back my hair as I did so.

"Shh, you're okay," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the top of my head. "I'm here. You're okay."

* * *

Adrian let me cry into his chest until I must have fallen asleep again, because the next thing I knew, moonlight was shining in through a gap in the curtains, casting a soft glow on the man sleeping next to me.

I began to panic slightly, not used to having someone lying next to me on my bed, but my fear quickly dissolved – replaced with a feeling of safety and protection. Adrian lay on his back, one arm behind his head, the other stretched out across onto my side of the bed, as though he had been playing with my hair before he fell asleep.

"Adrian," I whispered, nudging him slightly to wake him up.

He stirred almost immediately, his eyes darting around the room in a search for danger. His gaze landed on mine and he smiled sleepily before sitting up slowly and running a hand through his messy tangles of hair.

"Hey, Little Dhampir. Are you okay?"

I nodded slowly, sitting up myself and turning to face him.

"What happened?" He asked. "When I got here last night you were hysterical. Dimitri didn't say anything, only that you needed me."

"I – I don't know." I said, lowering my gaze. "I had a dream."

Adrian didn't say anything, waiting for me to continue.

"About Nathan."

"I see."

"I was back – back _there_," I told him. "I woke up and I just panicked."

"Dimitri didn't help you?" He asked, furrowing his brows.

"He – he couldn't. I didn't let him near me."

"Why? You needed help."

"I couldn't – not from him. He can't help me."

"Rose…" I could hear the disappointment in his voice. "He loves you. You know he does. You need to let him help you."

* * *

The next evening, I dreamt again. Waking up crying and screaming once more. Dimitri didn't come in, but I knew that he heard me because Adrian came running through the door less than five minutes later. Dimitri must have rang him again, probably afraid to upset me himself.

This continued for a few nights, to the point where Adrian hadn't bothered going home, choosing instead to stay at the apartment with me. Eddie came by for his shifts but Adrian always sent him away, much to Eddie's dismay. He took his job as Adrian's guardian _very _seriously, and even behind the wards he hated to leave Adrian alone. Especially more so now, since the incident before when Eddie ended up in the hospital. I knew that having him here must have been hurting Dimitri, but I couldn't bear to even look in his direction, let alone have him help me.

I was _so_ ashamed of myself; I couldn't let myself be close to him. Adrian had seen me at my worst. Adrian had been there all the times Nathan – all the times Nathan hurt me. Maybe not physically, but in my dreams - and they always felt real.

Adrian told me that it was his own idea for him to stay, but I knew differently. I heard the two of them the night before, Dimitri and Adrian, talking in hushed tones out in the living room as I crept silently to broken door of the bedroom. Hiding behind the wall, I listened.

* * *

"_Dimitri, you need to be the one to help her." I heard Adrian whisper._

"_I know! But she's not letting me. She only wants you." Dimitri replied, and I didn't miss the sadness in his voice._

"_But she needs __you__. I need to go home."_

"_Maybe it's best if you just stay. You know she's going to wake up crying in a few hours anyway, calling for you. Just stay."_

"_Dimitri, I –"_

"_Adrian, it's okay. You got what you wanted. She needs you more than me now."_

"_I got what I wanted? What is that supposed to mean?" Adrian asked._

"_I mean, you love her. You __still__ love her, you always have."_

"_Belikov, you don't have to worry about that. I don't love her in that way anymore," he said, before I heard him add under his breath, "besides, __I'm__ not one to take another man's girl."_

"_And what is __that__ supposed to mean?" Dimitri was clearly taken aback by Adrian's comment._

"_You know what I meant, Belikov."_

"_I thought we were passed this, Ivashkov."_

"_Well clearly not, if you're still fretting about Rose and I's feelings for each other."_

"_Adrian –"_

"_No, Belikov. I'm here to help her. Not to take her away from you. It's __you __she needs. I've come to terms with that and I moved on. I can't help it if my abilities meant that I could contact her when she was missing and you couldn't. But trust me man, she needs you. I can see it in her eyes whenever I mention you. She misses you."_

"_I miss her."_

"_I know."_

"_Just stay, Adrian, please. She needs you."_

* * *

Even with Dimitri's love for me and urge to help me, he could recognise that I needed Adrian right now, and he knew that having him here would help me, even if it killed him.

I couldn't ignore the feeling of guilt in my chest anymore, though, and I knew that I needed to start helping _myself_. Having Adrian here made me feel safe, but I knew it couldn't last like this forever. Not without hurting Dimitri. And I knew Adrian was right - I _did_ love Dimitri. I _did_ need him. And in order to let him back into my life I needed to start facing my fears.

"Adrian?" I asked as I sat contemplating on the bed, Adrian beside me attempting to read one of Dimitri's westerns. Judging by the frown on his face though, I had a feeling he didn't quite enjoy it in the same way Dimitri did.

"Mm?"

"I want to go out."

Adrian's eyes widened briefly before he sat up straighter and closed the book, placing it gently down next to him. "Out?"

"Yes. Outside. I don't want to stay in here anymore."

"Okay, that's good…" He responded, only a slight confusion lacing his voice. "Where do you want to go?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead. I only knew that I wanted to try and leave the apartment. I was isolating myself up here out of fear and I knew deep down that in order to start feeling better, to start _living_ again, I needed to push myself out of my comfort zone. I thought it would be best to go somewhere familiar, somewhere I felt at home.

"The gym."

"Well come on then, let's go. You get dressed, I'll wait out there," Adrian said with a smile on his face before heading towards the door, leaving me to get changed out of my sweatpants and hoodie.

"Adrian?" I called out, stopping him in his tracks.

"Yeah?"

"Can you call Lissa and ask her to come? I want to see her."

"I'm sure she'd love to see you." Adrian's grin widened, practically reaching his ears, and he turned away once more.

* * *

Once I was dressed we left the apartment, with Adrian informing Dimitri - who was sitting staring at what I recognised was Nathan's file – where we were headed. Dimitri seemed surprised, but I didn't miss the glint of pride behind his eyes.

The short walk to the gym was uneventful, and I was surprisingly not as afraid as I thought I would be, even with other people walking the streets. Adrian and I waited for Lissa outside the gym, and I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard her voice calling my name in the distance.

"Rose!"

I turned around to see Lissa sprinting towards us.

Alone.

When she reached us, she immediately engulfed me in a tight hug, and immediately I felt so much better having seen my best friend.

"Where are your guardians?" I asked once she pulled away.

"I snuck out."

"Liss!" I exclaimed in shock, as Adrian just snorted next to us.

"What? I knew you'd be uncomfortable with them here and I wanted to see you - needed to see you," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "I missed you, Rose. I'm so glad you're okay. We were all so worried."

"I missed you too, Lissa," I replied, pulling her into another hug. "I can't believe you snuck out without any of the _Queen's_ guard noticing. I thought my team were at least _half _good at their jobs."

"Well you can reprimand them when you come back to work. _If_ you come back to work, that is… How are you feeling, Rose?"

"I'm okay," I said, but the furrowing of her brows told me she didn't believe me. "Honestly, Liss. I'm okay. Adrian's been helping me."

"Not Dimitri?"

"He's tried to," Adrian interjected.

Lissa must have sensed the warning tone in Adrian's voice as she quickly dropped the subject and plastered a smile back onto her face.

"So what are we doing here, Rose? Adrian and I aren't exactly the 'gym-going' types."

I chuckled. "I know, but I wanted to get out, go somewhere familiar. You don't have to work out, I just wanted some company."

The three of us entered the gym, and to my delight it was completely deserted. Adrian and Lissa followed me into one of the workout studios before pulling up two chairs at the side of the room while I began with running some lengths of the room.

Adequately warmed up, I pulled one of the standing punch bags to the centre of the room, practicing as many different moves as I could. I was pleased to see that my form hadn't deteriorated much, and I was able to perform almost all of the moves perfectly.

Nathan's hold on me hadn't affected my abilities too much.

_Fuck you…_ I thought as I dealt a punch. _You can't hurt me…_

Punch.

_You can't stop me…_

Punch.

_I'm still _ _ me _ _…_

Punch.

_I'm still strong…_

Punch.

_I can still defend myself…_

Punch.

_You're going to pay for how you hurt me…_

Punch.

I could feel my anger bubbling inside me and before I knew it, I was no longer attacking the punching bag. It was _him_. In my mind, Nathan stood in front of me and my body and mind were screaming at me to kill him. To make him hurt. To make him pay. I struck out at him, landing blows as hard as I could, ignoring the increasing pain in my hands, until I heard voices calling out behind me, drawing me from my rage.

"Rose!"

"Rose, stop!"

"Rose!"

Ceasing my attack, I fell to the ground, bringing my knees up to my chest as I sat out of breath. I looked down at my hands, which were now raw and bloody. Judging by the pain radiating from my fingers, I had a feeling they were broken.

_Shit._

A flash of blonde appeared in my vision and I looked up to see Lissa kneeling in front of me, Adrian standing just behind her, worry and concern etched on both their faces.

"Rose, you're okay now. I promise."

"I just feel so…" _How did I feel?_ "Violated," I stated bitterly.

Sadness flashed across Lissa's jade green eyes.

"I've only ever been with Dimitri. I gave Dimitri everything and now… I can't say that anymore. Dimitri isn't the only person I've been with..."

"Oh Rose…"

"Adrian says Dimitri still loves me, but… how? How can he still love me when he's not the only one that's had me anymore?"

"Rose – Dimitri would do anything for you, he'd walk to the ends of the Earth for you. He practically _has _already. He adores you. He always will."

I looked up into Adrian's solemn eyes, who nodded his agreement. I sighed dejectedly.

Everything was such a mess…

"Can I heal your hands please?" Lissa asked, drawing my attention back to her.

I nodded slowly, before Lissa reached out and took them in her own. I winced as she touched them, but I soon felt the warmth of Spirit rush through me until the pain disappeared.

"You know, I did this for Dimitri not too long ago."

"You did?" I asked, confused. _When did this happen?_ "Why?"

Lissa took a deep breath. "He lost it. He was so afraid for you and he felt helpless because he couldn't find you and he ended up snapping and destroying the whole apartment. His whole hands were bruised." She reached out and gave my arm a gentle squeeze. "It killed him when you were gone, Rose. He was _so_ scared. You could see it in his eyes - they lost their sparkle."

"I told you, Little Dhampir," Adrian added.

Lissa nodded her agreement.

"Let him help you."


	27. Chapter 27

**Rose's POV ** _–_ _Five days later._

As much as I wanted it to, things with Dimitri hadn't got any better. Adrian and Lissa had helped me to see that I needed to let Dimitri in, needed to let him help me, but I just couldn't seem to let my guard down around him.

After the – _incident_ – at the gym, I planned to speak to Dimitri as soon as I got home. Lissa had managed to sneak back home undetected (somehow), and Adrian walked me home before I told him to head back to his place; if I was going to take this step, I needed to push myself to do it without him.

When I walked in through the door, I saw that Dimitri hadn't moved from his spot on the sofa, but he looked up at me and smiled as I made my way over to him. I planned to open up to him, I really did, but when I went to say what I planned to say, no words came out. I ended up standing there, staring at him with my mouth open like some kind of awkward, gaping fish.

He had a quizzical look on his face, and when he asked what was wrong, I simply turned away and scurried back to the bedroom as quick as I could, cursing myself the whole way.

Why couldn't I just talk to him?

After all, I loved him with everything that I had, even if I couldn't show it, and I wanted things to go back to normal. I didn't want to be afraid around him, or constantly worrying whether or not he still loved me. I wanted us to be _'us'_ again.

But despite my newfound outlook on things, and my desire to open up to him, Dimitri and I hadn't said two words to each other. Well, _I_ hadn't at least. Dimitri would check on me, asking me if he could get me anything, asking me if I wanted to talk, but each time I just shook my head, unable to speak actual words. I guess the head shake was progress though…

Thankfully, my dreams hadn't returned and Adrian hadn't needed to rush over to comfort me in the middle of the night. I knew he wanted to help me, but I could also see his frustration and I knew that him being here was hard for Dimitri. Neither of them would admit it, but I knew that they both wanted Adrian to move back home. As much as I took comfort with Adrian being there, and how safe I felt in his presence, I knew that if I wanted to move on from everything and start taking steps in the right direction, I needed to eradicate my dependence on him.

So I did.

He would still check in, of course, but at least now I didn't feel the need to be around him twenty-four-seven.

While I'd still not dared to leave the apartment by myself yet, I'd managed to venture out of the bedroom a few times instead of locking myself away – albeit when Dimitri was working and he wasn't at home. Of course, before, I'd been able to leave the bedroom occasionally to use the bathroom, but up until now I hadn't _stayed_ out of the bedroom.

* * *

It had been five days since I went to the gym, and it was really starting to bother me that I hadn't made progress with Dimitri. So much so that I'd barely managed any sleep in the night, tossing and turning, and before I knew it, moonlight came peering in through the curtains once more. I was exhausted, and that was only adding to my feelings of fear, annoyance at myself and frustration at the situation.

This morning in particular, I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed all day and sleep, to just lock myself away, but judging by its earthquake-inducing rumble, my stomach had other plans. Plans that involved breakfast - preferably something doughy, sweet and covered in chocolate. Unfortunately, that meant vacating the apartment and forcing myself to walk to the bakery, so I knew I would need to settle for whatever I could find in the kitchen.

I knew that Dimitri was working today and, not too long ago, I'd heard the tell-tale sound of the front door opening and closing as he left to meet Christian. I was alone in the house.

As I made my way into the kitchen, my stomach once again made itself known and I felt my hunger increase ten-fold. With everything going on, I hadn't managed to feed myself much or force myself to eat and, as someone that usually ate like teenage boy hitting a growth spurt, I was beginning to feel the effects. I took it as a good sign that I was starting to feel properly hungry again.

It seemed that Dimitri realised this too as, when I entered the kitchen, waiting on the counter I found a small box, filled to the brim with exactly what I was craving – donuts. I smiled to myself as I reached out for them, a feeling of warmth and comfort spreading throughout my body as I saw the note left on top:

_With Christian. Back later. D x_

I took the box off the counter and made my way to the sofa before tucking into the delicious treats, my mouth watering as I ate them. It had been weeks since I had the pleasure of devouring these, and they tasted even better than I remembered.

I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty as I ate, however. Even without having spoken to him in days, or showing him any kind of affection, Dimitri still did the little things for me that he knew would make me smile. These donuts were just further proof that I needed to let him in, to let him help me.

I just needed to stop being so silly about it. I was safe. I was home. And I knew that Dimitri would never hurt me, so I didn't need to be afraid of him. Both Lissa and Adrian had told me exactly how distraught Dimitri was when I was missing, so I knew also that his love for me hadn't faltered – despite Nathan getting his grimy hands on me and my body.

I wanted Dimitri's help, I wanted his love. But for some reason, I just couldn't convey that to him. I was so thankful for his patience, but I knew that it wouldn't last forever.

In an attempt to start _finally_ bridging the gap between us, once I had demolished all of the donuts, I went in search of my phone – not having had it with me for weeks I wasn't sure where it was. I searched the apartment, eventually finding it one of the top draws in the kitchen counter. I turned it on, thankful it still had a small amount of battery life left, and waited for it to become responsive. Almost immediately, unread text messages from the last few weeks began popping up, demanding to be replied to. One text in particular made my heart jump in my chest.

_Kiz - Love you. I'm still here at Court. Please see me when you're feeling better. X_

Baba.

Along with Dimitri, he had been on my mind recently. Having apparently freaked out when he first came to see me, I knew it would have been hard on him not being able to see his only daughter after she had been missing for weeks. I missed him, and I felt determined to get myself better so that I could see him soon.

But this was not the reason for finding my phone. Ignoring the rest of my messages, I switched to the camera setting before snapping a photo of the empty box of donuts and sending it to Dimitri with a simple _'Thank you. Xx'_

It wasn't much, but I hoped it would make him smile at least.

Not five minutes later came his reply:

'_You're welcome. Xx'_

* * *

A few hours later, I found myself idle and slightly bored, so I decided to clean the apartment – for probably the first time since we moved in. Unsurprisingly, that job usually fell to Dimitri. As someone that tended to throw dirty laundry in the general direction of the hamper and call that 'tidying', cleaning wasn't exactly my forte…

As I stood at the kitchen sink, washing up some dishes that had been left on the side, I began to get the unwelcome feeling that someone was lingering outside the front door. I felt uncomfortable, my heart rate elevating and feelings of fear pushing themselves to the forefront of my mind. When I heard movement, I quickly dried my hands before reaching into the draw beside me for a kitchen knife in an effort to protect myself. I stood staring at the door, ready to attack should anyone come in – Dimitri wouldn't be home for an hour or so yet, and Adrian always came in the evenings when he visited, so I knew it wasn't him either.

Two seconds later, when a bundle of mail was pushed through the letter box and I heard footsteps disappearing down the hallway, I immediately relaxed, letting out a shaky breath and chuckling quietly at myself. I had _no_ reason whatsoever to be scared. I was safe. I was home.

Turning away from the door and the mail discarded on the floor, I returned the knife back to its draw and went back to cleaning the dishes, vowing to pick up the mail when I had finished cleaning. I knew it would only be a few bills, Dimitri's paycheck and, if anything else, something from Dimitri's family – it wasn't anything urgent.

* * *

An hour later, and the apartment thoroughly cleaned, I returned to the front door and picked up the pile of letters. Skimming through them, I saw that I was right before – bills… bills…. paycheck… an envelope with Olena's delicate handwriting on it…

Until I reached the final one in the pile.

Marked with a stamp and addressed to me with handwriting I couldn't quite place, my brows furrowed in confusion. I hadn't been expecting anything, and being handwritten I knew it wasn't something as official as a bill or a paycheck – not that I had worked in the last few weeks to warrant any pay at all.

Tentatively, I placed the rest of the mail on the counter before cautiously opening the one addressed to me. Pulling out its contents, my heart immediately sank and my breath caught in my throat as I came face to face with… me. A photo of me.

In my hands was a polaroid picture of myself, unconscious and laying bound to a bed, covered in deep bruises, scratches, and barely contained by that disgusting, red silk babydoll I had been made to wear for weeks.

Looking at the photo, I felt physically sick. Bile formed in my throat as my fear came instantly rushing back to me. This was from Nathan. I knew he was still out there, and I knew I hadn't seen the last of him when Adrian told me he had escaped, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. I didn't expect him to send me such a visual reminder of what I had been through, making me instantly sick to my stomach.

Attached to the back of the polaroid, a note had been added, and I could feel my tears collecting behind my eyes before I even read what it had to say.

_My Dearest Rose,  
Look how gorgeous you are. The scars left on your skin brand you _ _ mine _ _ and they only add to your beauty. Mine.  
You're mine - Remember that.  
I'll see you soon.  
Nathan x_

Reading his words, I couldn't breathe. I found myself gasping for air, tears now streaming down my cheeks and my whole body trembling in terror.

This wasn't happening. This _wasn't _happening. I was safe. I was home.

I was safe. I was home.

I was home – I _wasn't_ safe.

I wasn't safe.

My heart was now beating so hard in my chest that it was painful and the world around me was slowly falling out of focus. I couldn't concentrate on my surroundings – all I could see was the polaroid and Nathan's threatening words.

I was shaking and sobbing so much that I didn't register the door opening beside me, or the person that opened it rushing towards me in panic.

"Roza?!" he exclaimed, clutching my shoulders tightly in his hands in an attempt to pull me out of my panic. "What's wrong?"

The polaroid still in my hand, I looked up through my tears into his worried eyes and let out a shaky cry. I dropped the photo and it slowly fell to the floor as, without thinking, I buried myself in his chest, clutching tightly at his shirt and crying into his tight embrace.

"Oh, my Roza…"

* * *

**Dimitri's POV**

I had to chuckle to myself when Rose's text message popped up on my phone – the empty box of donuts and a simple 'thank you'. It was such a 'Roza' thing to do, and it warmed my heart that she took the time to do that. I knew that she had made so much progress in the last few days and she was starting to become more like herself and emerge from her shell of fear.

I was immensely proud of her.

I had planned to tell her that as soon as I walked in through the door, even if she didn't say anything back to me, but my plans were diminished as soon as I heard her crying.

When I entered the apartment that evening and saw her standing there sobbing, I knew something had happened. This wasn't her usual, quiet cries when she was upset. This was a full blown panic attack. Her body was trembling and from her strained breaths I knew she was struggling to breathe. She was so engrossed by whatever was in her hands that she didn't acknowledge me rush over to her until I physically took her shoulders in my hands and stood directly in front of her.

Her bloodshot eyes met my own and she let out a strangled cry as she fell forward and buried herself in my chest. I didn't think she realised what she had done, but my heart instantly grew two sizes as I had the love of my life properly in my arms for the first time in weeks.

"Oh, my Roza…" I cooed as she cried into me, smoothing her hair back comfortingly. I rested my cheek on the top of her head as she clutched me, before I noticed what she had been holding had fallen to the floor beside us. When I saw what it was, my anger boiled inside me and I had to fight to keep in control of it. As furious as I was, Roza clearly needed me now, and I needed to be there for her. The incriminating object on the floor needed to wait.

As we stood embraced in the middle of the apartment, I realised that Roza had no intentions of calming down any time soon. Her sobbing had increased and each time I moved she clutched harder at my shirt, refusing to let go. Placing a kiss on the top of her head, I reached down and effortlessly scooped her up into my arms, cradling her as I walked us into the bedroom. She didn't show any indication of letting go as I placed her down, moving to lay down beside her myself as she continued to cry into my chest.

My Roza…

I held her close for a while, whispering comforting words to her as she let out her emotions, and eventually her sobs finally slowed and her breathing evened out. I looked down to find her eyes closed and mouth open slightly, now sleeping soundly in my arms, having cried herself into unconsciousness.

Despite the overwhelming sympathy and sadness I was feeling for her, I couldn't help but smile as I gazed down at her, gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I tightened my arms around her, and felt a sense of warmth and contentment as she subconsciously gripped me tighter.

She was back with me, back in my arms.

Safe.


	28. Chapter 28

**Rose's POV**

I awoke the next morning in bed feeling very groggy and disoriented – I didn't remember falling asleep, let alone returning to the bedroom. I remembered donuts, cleaning the apartment top to bottom and then… Nathan's thoughtful 'gift'.

_The scars left on your skin brand you _ _ mine _ _ and they only add to your beauty…_

I remembered opening the letter and immediately feeling an overwhelming sense of dread and panic.

_I'll see you soon…_

I remembered crying, struggling to breathe, my body shaking and then… warmth. Surrounding warmth and compassion as someone took me into their arms, providing comfort in amongst my struggle.

Dimitri.

He must have come home to find me literally just _freaking_ out in the middle of our apartment and went straight into comfort mode. He didn't even hesitate to take care of me, even though it could have quite easily made me so much worse; he could see that I needed his help. But I must have been so worked up that I hadn't responded when he hugged me – our first proper physical contact in weeks, and I hadn't even been in a clear state of mind to realise it or remember it completely.

As I lay on my side, facing the wall and trying to piece together the events of last night, the sensation of somebody moving in the bed next to me made me almost jump out of my skin. With slight hesitation I slowly rolled over, finding Dimitri fast asleep on his back, his brows furrowed and breathing deeply. With the realisation that I wasn't alone in the bed, I could feel my heart rate pick up significantly, my anxiety skyrocketing. But deep in the back of my mind, something was telling me that it was okay – it was _Dimitri_… there was no reason to freak out. I forced myself to relax, taking slow breaths as I lay staring at him.

This was Dimitri.

_My _Dimitri.

I didn't need to be afraid of him. He cared for me, and I cared for him – these past few days of isolation had done nothing but strain our relationship and, in all honesty, probably made things worse for myself. Why hadn't I realised that I needed him? We'd always been stronger together, but I seemed to have forgotten that. I wished that I could take it all back, and run straight into his arms as soon as I woke up in that hospital bed, but it was too late. I would definitely need to tell him this as soon as I had the chance, tell him that I was sorry – I wanted to make things right again.

As if on cue, he began to stir next to me, and by the look on his face he too was confused as to where he was. His narrowed eyes scanned the room, before the realisation hit him and he looked down at me with a worry in his eyes.

"Sorry – I can go…" He mumbled, attempting to prop himself up and hurry out of the bed, obviously concerned about upsetting me by being so close.

"No – wait," I interjected, reaching out and placing a hand on his arm to stop him. "Stay."

His eyes widened slightly in shock, but I didn't miss the small smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "Really?"

I nodded and squeezed his arm. "Yes."

The smile he was attempting to hide broke out into a grin, clearly pleased by my words. He shuffled back onto the bed and lay down beside me, turning onto his side to face me. We lay staring at each other in silence, neither one of us wanting to break the contentment between us. I hadn't been this close to Dimitri in a long while, and laying here beside him now, I realised how much I missed it. I silently cursed myself at my stupidity – how did I ever think it was better for both of us to be apart?

"Dimitri –" I began, breaking the silence.

"Roza –" Dimitri said at the same time.

We both chuckled before I motioned for Dimitri to speak first. He waited a moment before his smile faltered, and he reached out to brush my hair out of my face. He took a deep breath, and I could see in his eyes just how worried he was for what he had to say.

"I'm so sorry," he began. "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you. It was all entirely my fault; I should have kept you safe. Please forgive me, Roza."

His words were sincere, and despite his usual brave façade, I could tell that he was moments away from breaking. Everything Lissa and Adrian had been telling me was right in front of me now – he was fragile, scared and I knew that the entire time I was missing had to have been torture for him. Even more so now that I knew he blamed himself.

"I don't blame you, Dimitri," I told him sincerely, playing with a strand of his hair that had fallen out of his hair tie in the night.

His brows furrowed. "You don't?"

"No. _You _didn't kidnap me. You didn't… You didn't hurt me," I whispered, closing my eyes tight in an attempt to block out the memories. "He did."

With a sigh, Dimitri reached out and pulled me closer to him, laying an arm over my waist in a warm embrace.

"I was so worried about you, Roza," he whispered. "I thought you wouldn't come back to me."

"I did," I replied, using my hand to push myself back slightly so that I could look into his emotion-filled eyes. "I'm here."

"I had a dream, while you were gone," he told me with a sigh. I didn't say anything in response, knowing that he had more to say. I lay there, looking up at him with a silent urge for him to continue. "I thought it was one of my nightmares, about Russia, about being – being Strigoi… I had you trapped. You were my prisoner, as always. And I was talking to you – you were so frightened of me – except, I wasn't _me_. I was _him_. And I did awful things to you."

He closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath, before reaching out and stroking my cheek with the pad of his thumb. I melted into his touch, closing my eyes briefly to revel in his warmth.

"I was _so_ angry afterwards. But, it made me realise…"

"What?"

"It made me realise that the things I did to you when I was Strigoi were bad, but they could have been much worse. It doesn't even compare to what Nathan did to you. I need to forgive myself for what I did because _now_ you need me more than ever. And I promise to protect you and love you forever. To help you through your pain."

I caught my bottom lip between my teeth nervously. Dimitri's words were so kind and so full of love, that I couldn't quite comprehend his honesty. How could he possibly say these wonderful things knowing exactly what Nathan had done to me?

"You don't hate me?" I asked quietly, averting my gaze from his. He reached out and gently cupped my chin in his hand, forcing me to look up at him again.

"No Rose, never," he said. "I would never be able to hate you. Never in a million years."

"But, he – I –" I stuttered, before taking a calming breath to compose myself. "You're not the only one I've been with anymore…"

"I know. But I could never hate you because of something that was out of your control. I'm angry, yes. But not with you. Never with you."

A single tear escaped my eye and rolled slowly down my face. Whether it was a tear of sadness, or simply a tear of relief I wasn't sure. "I thought you would hate me. I thought you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. And I – I was scared. I spent so long being afraid, and I only had Adrian to help me – when he came to me in my dreams. But I was so used to being terrified that I think when I first saw you, or Christian, or Baba… I associated anyone that wasn't Adrian with fear."

"I understand."

"You do?"

"Yes, Roza. You've been through something traumatic - that pain and that fear is bound to present itself in different ways."

Dimitri was always so understanding, so caring and so gentle. He seemed to always understand what I was feeling, or my thought processes, even without me having confided in him. He had been so patient with me throughout all of this _mess_, and I couldn't thank him enough. I had been so horrible to him, pushing him away, and I found it difficult to comprehend how he managed to maintain his love for me in this time. I was unbelievably lucky to have him in my life.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away. I'm sorry I didn't let you help me."

"You don't need to apologise, Roza," he said, playing twirling a strand of my hair around his finger as he spoke. "I'll always love you, no matter what happens. You could have kicked me out and I would still love you. Always."

"I – I love you too."

"And now, we can get through this. Together. I'm going to be here for you, Roza. To help you in any way you need."

With a smile on my face, I shuffled closer to him and he instinctively moved his arm and wrapped it around my shoulder as I lay my head on his chest. Everything was finally falling into place again, except…

"Dimitri?"

"Yes, Roza?"

"What are we going to do about Nathan?"

I felt him stiffen slightly beneath me, before letting out a shaky breath.

"I don't know. But I promise you, we'll be okay. I won't let anything happen to you ever again."


	29. Chapter 29

**Dimitri's POV**

Rose and I stood side by side, staring at the closed door in front of us in silence. I could feel the anxiety radiating off of her and I knew that she was doing everything she could to stay calm and not panic.

"Roza, we don't have to do this if you're not ready," I stated, linking my hand with hers in reassurance. In that one touch, I felt her worry fade slightly at the knowledge that I was with her, here for her, but I knew that she was still scared inside.

After Rose and I opened up to each other the day before, we had spent the whole day in each other's arms, making up for lost time and relishing in the warmth of being close to one another again. We had spoken more in depth, exploring our thoughts and our worries before promising each other that no matter what happens, we would always talk to each other. We would always let the other know what we were feeling. One of the main sources of our issues in the last few months had been communication, and the presumption that one of us was feeling one thing or another without ever discussing it.

I had presumed Rose would resent me for my actions as a Strigoi...

Rose had presumed I would resent her for what Nathan had put her through…

We had both presumed at one time or another that we weren't enough for the other person…

And each time, we were wrong.

At the end of the day however, after we had lifted the weights off our shoulders, Rose suddenly blurted out that she had decided she wanted to visit her father and her friends. I was surprised to say the least; she had only just opened up to me again, which was already a huge step, and then she stated that she wanted to push herself even further. My shock was laced with a mixture of pride and concern – I was proud that she was making progress, but I was concerned that she was pushing herself too much too quickly. Still, I supported her, and the next day we set up a time to see everyone. Christian, Abe, Vasilisa, Eddie, Adrian… they were all waiting behind the closed door of Abe's guest housing.

"No, I know I don't have to. I want to," she replied, giving my hand a gentle squeeze in return. "I need to do this."

"I know you do Milaya, but you don't have to push yourself so soon – everyone understands that you've been through a lot."

She sighed deeply.

"Dimitri, I've isolated myself from everyone for nearly two weeks and it's not going to help me get better if I don't push myself to see them again."

"I know. I'm just worried about you. I want to make sure that you're okay."

"Thank you, Comrade," she smiled, my heart soaring at her use of my familiar nickname – the first time she had used it since she was taken. "I'll be fine - I promise. I won't freak out."

I smiled back at her before leaning down to place a gentle, reassuring kiss on her forehead. I was still worried for her, but I knew this was something she needed to do and I had told her I would be there for her no matter what, after all.

With a deep breath, she nervously reached out and knocked on the door three times before stepping back and waiting for it to open. Not five seconds later, it swung open to reveal an anxious Abe, wearing a typically vibrant scarf and jacket. At the familiar sight of her father, I felt Rose's anxiety fade instantaneously. There had been no need for her to worry.

Dropping my hand, she rushed forward and enveloped him in a tight hug, wrapping her arms securely around his neck. Instinctively, Abe responded, returning his daughter's act of affection.

"Hey there, old man," she greeted, still holding onto him tightly.

He chuckled at her term of 'endearment' before replying.

"Kizim… I missed you."

"I'm so sorry."

"No need to apologise. None of this was _your_ fault, you hear me?"

I saw Rose nod against his shoulder before releasing her tight grip around his shoulders. As he looked into her eyes, never had I seen Abe look so fragile, so… ordinary? He was _Zmey_. He was cunning, he was smart, intimidating, powerful… yet with Rose, he was a father. A father who cared for his daughter. A father who was frightened for her safety. A father who was relieved to have her back home and safe. One thing Abe relished was control, and with Rose taken from us and him unable to do anything, that control had been taken from him also. Like me, he had felt stranded, powerless, and now with Rose back I saw determination in his eyes. Determination to not lose his control again. To not lose _Rose_ again.

With newfound confidence, Rose ventured further into the apartment, seeking out the rest of our friends. Following behind, I passed Abe, who greeted me with a nod and a pat on the back before closing the door and following us into his home.

As I entered the living area, just seconds after Rose, I saw that she had already been engulfed in a hug from Lissa. Judging by Rose's reaction, Vasilisa's hold on her was strong and she was clearly unwilling to let get go any time soon.

"Unh, Liss, can't – breathe –" Rose managed to say, while trying to catch her breath and prying Vasilisa off of her. She instantly let go and took a step back, worried about hurting her Guardian.

"Sorry! Sorry. I'm just happy to see you," she said sheepishly.

Rose chuckled.

"I only saw you a couple of days ago, Liss."

"I know, I know, but I still missed you like crazy. I'm just _so_ glad you're back."

"Me too," Rose agreed, before briefly hugging her again.

Letting go, she finally noticed Christian, who had been standing idly behind them. I was about to greet them when, unexpectedly, Rose launched herself towards him and enveloped him in a tight embrace. His eyes widened in surprise before he brought his arms around her waist, returning her hold. In their years of friendship, Rose and Christian had never been overly affectionate towards one another, despite their unspoken care for eachother, so I knew that this hug was a rare occasion for them both. One that was clearly needed - and appreciated.

"Hey Rosie," he said with a smile, as they stood hugging. "I was worried about you. I'm so thankful you're okay."

"Thank you, Christian."

The two broke apart and stepped back slightly, unsure now what to do after being so affectionate with each other. Christian cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking.

"I, uh, I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," Rose agreed again, before laughing to herself and bringing the conversation back to a more light-hearted tone. "Besides, someone had to keep you in line. Who else is going to make fun of you besides me?"

"Hey, now…"

Finally finding the opportunity to greet Christian and Vasilisa, I interjected the conversation before allowing Rose to get back to chatting with her friends. I couldn't believe how well she was doing - I had half expected her to panic at the sight of her father or Christian, but she appeared to be fine. She was relaxed, calm, almost like her usual self, and I was unbelievably proud of her. If ever I was in awe of her, it was definitely at this moment in time. Despite everything, she still held so much strength and resilience.

A few minutes passed by before the conversation was halted by the sound of the front door opening. Rose's head snapped to look in the direction of the sound with wide eyes, before it must have dawned on her that Adrian and Eddie were not yet here. Realising this, I saw her take a calming breath just as the two men walked into the room.

"No need to panic everyone, we're here now. The festivities can begin," Adrian stated in his usual slightly sarcastic tone.

"Sorry we're late," Eddie added with an apologetic smile, moving closer into the room from the doorway.

Acknowledging the pair, a grin spread on Rose's face and she immediately took to her feet and hurled herself towards them. Adrian opened up his arms - ready to catch her in a hug - however when she reached them, she simply disregarded him, pushing him out of her way and turning her attention instead to Eddie. Just as she did with her father and Christian, she launched herself into his arms and clung tightly around his neck.

I couldn't help but laugh at Rose's unintentional dismissal of Adrian, to which he clutched his chest in mock hurt. Although, I could see a proud glint in his eyes at Rose's behaviour. He could see and appreciate just how much progress she had made in the last day alone – much different to the last time he saw her, and I could tell that his respect for her matched my own. It was a complete contrast to the first time Rose had seen everyone - when she came into consciousness and immediately began panicking in our presence.

As Rose and Eddie stood embraced, it was clear just how much Rose and Eddie's friendship meant to one another, and it was heart-warming to see their reunion. Eddie's anger at Rose's disappearance rivalled my own and that of Abe and Adrian themselves, and the relief on his face at seeing her again was obvious. In their many years of friendship, the pair had been through so much together that their relationship had developed an almost unspoken bond between them. They were like brother and sister, and just as it had been painful for them to lose Mason, I knew that to lose one another now would be devastating for them.

Seeing that Rose was likely to be occupied for a while, and content that she wasn't going to have an anxiety attack any time soon, I motioned to Abe, where he sat simply observing on the sofa, that I needed to speak with him. Urgently.

Leaving the group in the lounge, we entered the kitchen, ensuring privacy in our conversation. Leaning back against the counter, Abe stood with his arms folded authoritatively.

"What's the matter, son?" He asked curiously.

With only slight hesitation, I wordlessly reached into my duster pocket and retrieved the vile photograph sent to Rose two days before. I had debated not sharing this with Abe, but I made that mistake before – ultimately leading to Rose's disappearance. I wouldn't follow the same path this time. It was important that everybody knew what was going on – keeping secrets would only make things worse and it was a matter of urgency that we find Nathan soon, proved further by the object in my hands.

I passed the Polaroid over to him, unable to miss the flash of anger across his face as he saw Rose dressed in silk and covered in bruises.

"Turn it over," I instructed, and his fury visibly increased tenfold as he read Nathan's words.

_Look how gorgeous you are. The scars left on your skin brand you __mine__ and they only add to your beauty. Mine._  
You're mine - Remember that.  
I'll see you soon.

"When did this arrive?" He asked, his voice lace with hatred.

"The day before last. Rose opened it while I was with Christian. I came home to find her panicking but I managed to calm her down."

"I see. And this is why she's suddenly coming out of her shell?"

"I guess so," I shrugged.

Abe sighed and shook his head. "Every cloud has a silver lining…" He muttered to himself.

I nodded before turning and leaning back on the counter, now standing beside Abe instead of in front of him. "I just wish it didn't take something like this to bridge the gap between us though."

He handed the Polaroid back to me, unwilling to look at in any further. I dropped it back into my pocket with an angry sigh.

"Are we any closer to finding him?" I asked.

"Pavel is over with Hans now, but as of yet they've found nothing. They've not had much luck, and they've tried practically everything," he recounted dejectedly. I couldn't believe that no progress had been made – if anybody could track down Nathan, it would be Abe and his contacts. Yet, they had turned up nothing.

"What about Psi hounds? Have they thought about using them?"

"Yes. They couldn't find anything."

"Блядь", I cursed, my head falling forward into my hands. "We need to find him, Abe. I can't lose her again."

Abe placed a reassuring hand on my arm. "We'll find him. She's not going anywhere. I know you'll look after her this time."

"I won't let anything happen to her," I promised. "Even if it's the last thing I do."


	30. Chapter 30

**Rose's POV** – _3 weeks later._

So much had changed in the last few weeks. After pushing myself to open up to Dimitri, and then taking that even further and seeing my friends, I was finally starting to feel more like myself again. I was happier, I was eating more, I wasn't as jumpy… After everything that had happened, I was initially numb. I was broken. I wasn't _me._

I had isolated myself from the group of people I loved most in this world, and while at first I thought that was what was best for me – and them – I eventually realised that I needed them more than anything. Opening up to them finally had enabled me to start moving on from what happened, and as each day passed I felt my anxiety and my fear fade away. I knew that Nathan was still out there, and I was definitely still affected by what he put me through, but I was determined to not let him continue to have this grasp on my life. I didn't want to be afraid anymore – it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that because of _him_ I resented myself and just felt _awful_. It wasn't fair that because of him, I pushed my friends away because I felt afraid, or because I felt as though they judged me for what happened.

It had been over a month since I escaped Nathan's clutches and we were still no closer to locating him. I knew that he would come for me again, but with my newfound bravery, and Dimitri's determination to protect me, I knew I would be safe.

Another welcome change had been that Dimitri and I were sleeping in the same bed again, and waking up beside him each morning was pure bliss. It had definitely been scary at first, and I often woke up disoriented and afraid – my mind instantly assuming that the presence in the bed next to me was Nathan and not the love of my life. But eventually my mind seemed to catch up to me and remember that, actually, I was safe. I wasn't in that awful prison anymore – I was home, with Dimitri by my side.

I woke up this particular morning to find Dimitri on the other side of the bedroom, getting ready to leave for his shift with Christian. I still hadn't gone back to my own Guardian duties, with Lissa instructing me to 'take all the time I need', but I knew I couldn't avoid it forever and despite her protests, Lissa needed me by her side. Even after everything, _they come first_. Especially since it was getting nearer and nearer to the end of the Moroi magic campaign – the final vote was only a week away. I would have to go back soon.

I felt a mixture of longing and nervousness at the prospect of returning as Lissa's guardian. It was what I was born to do, and it felt strange not carrying out my duties – even if my reasoning was valid. But as the Queen's head guardian and being, well, Rose Hathaway, people always knew who I was. And they would have definitely noticed that I hadn't been around.

Did they know what had happened? Did they know where I was? Did they think I had voluntarily left, sauntering away from my duties to become a Blood Whore? The thoughts were overwhelming. While I usually wouldn't care what people thought about me, considering the amount of rumours and unkind words that floated around the halls of St. Vladimir's, for some reason I felt a sense of unease about what they would be thinking about me now.

With a heavy sigh, I turned my attention back to the gorgeous man dressing in front of me, plastering a content smile on my face as I lay in our bed. Once he slipped on his last shoe and holstered his stake, Dimitri met my eyes and smiled, walking over in my direction to say goodbye.

"I'll be back later, Roza," he said, leaning down to plant a kiss on my forehead. I leant into his touch, feeling a sense of warmth and love course through my body. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine," I replied with a nod.

Dimitri smiled and reached out to brush my hair out of my face, hooking it back behind my ear. "I thought it might be nice if I cook us a nice meal later? Would that be okay?"

"Of course, Comrade."

"Good. I love you," he told me, my heart involuntarily jumping at his words and butterflies swarming in my belly. I would never get tired of hearing him say those words – they meant everything to me.

"I love you too."

Dimitri kissed my forehead again before turning and leaving the room. I heard him grab his duster off the wall, followed by the sound of the front door opening and closing, leaving me alone once again in the apartment.

I felt a sense of contentment and happiness as I sank further into the bed, pulling the covers up higher around me. Things were good right now – _really_ good. Yes, Nathan hadn't been found yet, but the love I felt for Dimitri and the love he felt for me outweighed my feelings of fear. It also helped immensely that Dimitri was keeping me in the loop, choosing this time to not keep any secrets. Although we hadn't heard anything from Nathan since he sent the Polaroid, each time Dimitri spent time researching and looking for where he might be, he always told me what he found or any progress they made – albeit the progress was pretty much non-existent. Even so, I was thankful that Dimitri was confiding in me, and we were definitely beginning to feel like 'us' again.

I couldn't help but feel like something was missing, however.

We had finally reached a normal place for us in our relationship – emotionally. But there was still a distance between us – physically. Our minds were connected, but our souls were apart. The physicality between us was almost as though we were standing on different continents, and it was beginning to get to me.

Sure, we would sleep in the same bed, hold hands, cuddle… He would kiss me on the cheek or the forehead… but we hadn't _properly_ kissed yet, let alone be _intimate_. It was understandable – I had been through something traumatic, and it was bound to take a while for me to be in a place where I could accept affection in that way. I wasn't even sure if Dimitri _wanted _to be with me like that anymore…

It was difficult. I knew that he was still afraid of upsetting me, worried about touching me and causing memories to stir up. And occasionally I would be so caught up in my own thoughts, or just sitting watching TV, that Dimitri would reach out to me and I would practically jump out of my skin, recoiling away from him before realising who it was beside me.

I was beginning to be afraid that I wouldn't ever be able to open up to him again or drop my barriers around him. I was scared that I wouldn't ever reach a place where I felt comfortable or be open to the idea of having sex again. So when I saw Dimitri emerge from the bathroom a few days ago in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, his chiselled body glistening with stray droplets of water from his shower, I was surprised that I found myself wanting him. _Seriously_ wanting him. I wanted nothing more than to reach out and untie the material so that it fell to the floor, wanted nothing more than to eagerly explore his body, like it was sugar and I was a starving bumblebee…

Since then, it was all that was on my mind. I found myself thinking about sex with Dimitri more and more, and it was almost verging on being as though I was back at St. Vlad's, lusting after something I couldn't have.

I resented the fact that Nathan had taken this away from me. I hated that he made me afraid of intimacy. I loved Dimitri, I used to love _being _with him, and I wanted to show him just how much I loved him. I wanted to – needed to – erase all the bad memories of Nathan. I could still feel him on my skin, I could still feel his touch, and I needed that touch gone. I needed Dimitri. I needed _his_ touch.

I needed to prove to myself that there was nothing to be afraid of – I desperately wanted my relationship with Dimitri to reach normality physically, as well as emotionally. And I was determined to make that happen.

* * *

I spent the day psyching myself up, determined to bridge this final gap in our relationship. I was worried that as soon as I saw Dimitri when arrived home I would freak out and change my mind, but as soon as he walked through the door, my heart rate picked up and those _damn_ butterflies in my belly just fluttered even more. I knew I wanted this.

He hung up his duster and greeted me with a smile and a peck on the cheek, before immediately starting on making us dinner. It was the perfect opportunity – a wonderful home cooked meal before taking this next step.

I offered him my help, to which he just chuckled and reminded him of the last time I attempted to 'help' and ended up with half the ingredients in my hair. Yeah, probably not a good idea… Instead, I simply sat on the sofa watching him longingly as he expertly navigated the kitchen, occasionally muttering to himself in Russian as he cooked.

When it was almost ready, I set out the cutlery on the table before lighting a few candles. Mood lighting, that's what we needed… I could feel myself getting more and more nervous as time went on. Did he know what I was planning? Would he _want_ what I was planning? Would he reject me?

_Calm down, Rose_ \- I thought. This was ridiculous. I wanted this, and surely Dimitri would too? It's not like we hadn't had sex before, after all. I was just afraid that he wouldn't want me in the same way anymore.

* * *

We sat at the table as we ate, and I asked Dimitri about his day, listening intently as he spoke. I could listen to him talk for hours, his accent ringing softly in my ears and sending warm tingles all over my body. If he knew something was up, he didn't show it – he was acting no different than usual and I was beginning to wonder if he would realise what I wanted, or if he actually _would_ reject me.

_Come on Rose, don't back out now._

After we ate, we cleared the table in a comfortable silence, stacking the plates neatly on the counter beside the sink.

_Now or never_…

As Dimitri stood at the sink and began washing the dishes, his back turned towards me, I took a deep breath, seeking to calm my nerves and search for a final bout of courage.

_I can do this._

I walked up behind him and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist, before rising up on my tiptoes to reach his neck. His hair was still tied back neatly from when he left for work, exposing his promise mark and many Molnija to me, allowing me clear access for leaving peppered kisses over his skin. As soon as my lips touched his body, a wave of electricity coursed through me, effectively calming my nerves – I could do this. I wasn't afraid.

Dimitri, however, stiffened under my touch. "Roza, what are you doing?" He asked hesitantly, confusion clear in his voice.

I smiled cheekily. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"I'm trying to wash up."

"That can wait, can't it?" I suggested, my intentions clear in my seductive tone of voice, before attaching my lips to his neck once more.

I heard his breath hitch in his throat before he, annoyingly, turned his attention back to the washing up. "It'll harden if it's not done now and be harder to clean."

"So?"

"Rose, stop," he commanded, his voice sincere and laced with frustration.

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

My heart dropped in my chest and I instantly felt dejected. He didn't want me, I knew it. Suddenly it felt like all those times back at the academy when I had tried to get him to give into his feelings and just _fucking_ admit that he loved me... Back then it was a constant cycle of rejection, and it felt no different now.

With a huff, I sank back down off my tiptoes and removed my arms from around his waist. Turning away from him, I sauntered over to the sofa and dropped down onto it, my arms folded in frustration. Dimitri must have realised he upset me because not two seconds later, he abandoned the washing up and came to perch on the edge of the coffee table in front of me, his brows furrowed and his eyes concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," I huffed.

"_Roza,_ what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

He expertly raised one of his eyebrows, showing me that he definitely knew I was lying.

"Fine," I sighed. "I want us to go back to normal. I want it to be like before everything happened."

"It _is_ normal isn't it? We're fine now," He frowned, oblivious to what I meant.

_Idiot._

"It's _not_, Dimitri. 'Normal' means having sex."

His eyes widened and he reached out to place a gentle hand on my knee. "Roza…" His tone was not one I was hoping for; I could sense the rejection on the tip of his tongue.

"I want to be with you again," I blurted out. "Tell me you don't want me too."

I felt his hand stiffen on my knee and he sighed deeply, briefly closing his eyes tight. "I don't want to hurt you."

This time, it was_ my_ brows that furrowed.

He sensed my confusion and continued, "I don't want to push you into something that you're not ready for. You've made so much progress and I don't want to ruin that by forcing you to – you know –"

"You're not forcing me, Dimitri. I want this," I stated, moving closer to the edge of the sofa, closer to Dimitri. "Do you not – do you not want to have sex with me anymore because – because he –"

"Roza, don't be silly. Believe me, it's not like I haven't thought about being with you in that way again, because trust me, I _have_… I just – I don't want to push you."

"You're not!" I exclaimed, leaning forward and resting my forehead against his. "I need this."

"Rose –"

"I need to move on from what happened. I need to be touched _lovingly_ again. I need to erase all the bad memories and replace them with new ones. I don't want sex to be something I'm afraid of. I need to be with you, _please_, Dimitri…"

I looked deeply into his dark eyes, narrowed by his still furrowed brows. I could practically feel his internal battle with himself – he was fighting to keep his control. He closed his eyes tight and sighed. I wasn't sure how much time passed – seconds, minutes, whatever, it felt like _years_ before he opened them again and spoke.

"I want to be with you more than anything, Roza. You have no idea how much I want you. But," he sighed, "are you sure? I need you to tell me you're sure."

"I'm sure, Dimitri. I promise."

To prove my point, I leant forward more and attached my lips to his, instantly igniting a fire between us. It felt right. It felt familiar. I wasn't afraid. Our lips danced together for a few moments before we had to pull away for air, our breathing hitched and heavy, and we each looked deeply into the other's eyes.

"Make love to me…"


	31. Chapter 31

**Third POV**

"_Make love to me…"_ Rose whispered, her voice breathy and full of want.

That was all it took for him to make his decision.

With her arms circled around his neck, he wrapped his own around her waist, pulling them both into a standing position in front of the sofa. He bent forward slightly, his hands wandering south until they rested behind her legs. He effortlessly lifted her up and her legs instinctively wrapped tightly around his waist.

Dimitri walked them to the bedroom, their eyes never losing contact, the intense look of longing and love never breaking. Both their hearts were beating hard in their chests and Rose was sure that, in the silence, she could hear the heavy rhythm of them beating as one.

When they reached the bed, he lay her down gently before following her, quickly rolling beside her so as to not overwhelm her. He wanted to give Rose what she wanted, he wanted to show her how much he loved her, but he was desperate not to trigger any painful memories. He wanted her to feel safe. Comfortable.

Lying side by side, Dimitri draped his arm over her waist, pulling her closer as their lips met hungrily. Rose moaned softly – she missed his taste, a taste she could only describe as 'Dimitri'. It was familiar, warm… she felt _right._ She felt safe. Their lips danced together, as if rehearsing a well-known routine; yet despite the familiarity, Rose couldn't help but notice the spark of excitement swelling inside of her. Dimitri made her feel as though butterflies were swarming in her belly. She thought she would be nervous and scared, lying in bed with Dimitri and their hands exploring each other's bodies, but… she wasn't. This was natural for them. Any feelings of fear had vanished completely.

Emerging for air, they pulled apart, their eyes locking once more. Dimitri's gaze was full of concern as he reached out to stroke Rose's cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"If you want me to stop, tell me and I will, okay?" He said softly. "As soon as you feel _any_ sort of concern or distress we can stop."

Rose felt her heart swell at his words. Even in amongst his arousal, he cared for her deeply and wanted to make sure she was comfortable. Dimitri would always put her feelings first. With a reassuring smile, Rose nodded her agreement.

"I need you to tell me that you understand."

"I understand. I'll tell you," she assured him, before reaching out and pulling him to her again, their lips colliding with a bolt of electricity.

Their hands roamed eagerly, seeking out every inch of skin they could find, desperate for contact. It was almost as though it was their first time, as though they had never experienced each other before and were desperate to find what the other holds. Their legs intertwined and hips attached, Rose could feel Dimitri's longing rubbing against her and she felt a heat build between her legs.

She pulled away with a moan, catching her breath. Dimitri wasted no time in attaching his lips to her jaw, trailing soft kisses along her skin until he felt her breath hitch and body stiffen as his kisses went lower and lower. Sensing her discomfort, he immediately pulled away.

"Not the neck…" she whispered, lowering her gaze.

Dimitri reached out and cradled her chin in his hand gently before pecking her lips softly.

"Not the neck," he stated, reassuring her.

Resuming their kisses, Dimitri's hand travelled her body, eventually finding home on her breasts. Rose gasped against his lips as his thumb brushed across her hardened nipple through her top and she grasped a fistful of his shirt in her hand.

"Fuck, _Dimitri_…"

Dimitri's hand moved south, his fingers curling around the edge of her shirt. His questioning eyes silently asked for permission to remove it and Rose gave a nod, shifting up slightly in the bed to help him. Wanting to speed things along, she reached behind her back and released the clasp of her bra, pulling it off her body and exposing her soft breasts to him for the first time in months. Dimitri let out a choked groan at the sight, before his hands reached out to massage them, attracted to them like magnets.

"So beautiful…" he whispered to himself, eliciting a giggle from the woman lying with him.

Rose reached out and grabbed the neck of his own shirt, pulling it over his head and leaving them both topless. She revelled in the sight of his muscular torso, involuntarily licking her lips in desire. She wanted him, _needed_ him. She hadn't felt pleasure like this in months and she had almost forgotten how good it felt to be intimate with someone. In an instant, she attached her lips to his chest, desperate to touch him.

As their tongues battled together, his hand caressed the skin of her stomach, gradually trailing lower and lower until his fingers disappeared inside the waistband of her pants. He groaned as his finger found her folds – she was already so wet for him. A small, desperate cry escaped her throat as his finger grazed her clit and a wave of pleasure shot through her. Eager for more, Dimitri pulled his hand away before ridding her of her pants. She lifted her hips off the bed to help him and pulled down her underwear, the cold air instantly hitting her heated core as she now lay bare beneath him.

"Dimitri…" she pleaded, urging him to touch her. She was unbelievably turned on, desperate to feel his skin against hers. She needed to feel good, to know that her body could be worshipped – loved – instead of abused and bruised.

Sensing what she wanted, he eagerly lowered himself down the bed until his head rested above her centre. He peppered kisses along the inside of her thigh, relishing in the moans falling from her lips as he moved closer and closer to where she wanted him the most. Not wanting to keep her waiting, he slipped a finger inside her warm walls, eliciting a pleasured whimper as he pumped in and out of her. One digit shortly became two as his tongue circled the bud at the top of her core, her hips bucking as she struggled to maintain control over her body.

He craved the moment she gave into her desire, longing her to fall apart beneath him. He desperately wanted her to feel good, wanted her to know that her pleasure was _his_ pleasure… He relished the string of groans, whimpers and curses emitting from her as his tongue lapped at her juices – the way her hands gripped the sheets, the way her eyes shut tight and lip caught between her teeth… She was gorgeous.

"Ah, _fuck_!"

One final stroke of his tongue and she collapsed, falling into the crevice as her walls contracted around his fingers - his hand and mouth continued their ministrations as she rode out her orgasm. Looking up at her through his thick lashes, he was in awe of her beauty – captivated. The rosy pink hue of her cheeks, the way her lips parted as she moaned through her orgasm, the way her brows furrowed slightly as she navigated her pleasure.

When her body stopped shaking and her breathing returned to normal, he made his way back up the bed, their lips colliding together hungrily. She groaned as she tasted herself on his lips. Dimitri was thankful he had already made his Roza feel good, but his own desire was becoming unbearable. His hardened length strained against his pants and there was very little room left to manoeuvre.

"Roza…"

With a man-eating grin, Rose reached out and unfastened his belt, pulling down his pants and boxers, finally freeing him from his clothed prison.

"Блядь," he groaned as she stroked his length for the first time. "Roza…"

"Please, Dimitri…"

"Maybe you should go on top? That way you can be in control?" he suggested, looking down at her lovingly.

She smiled gratefully and nodded before effortlessly flipping them over so that she was now on top and straddling him. There was no hesitation from her as she reached down and grasped him, guiding him into her warm walls with a moan from the both of them. There was no worry, no concern - no painful memories pushing their way to the forefront of her mind.

It was only them.

Rose and Dimitri, together again at last.

Fully settled inside her, they became one, their souls coming back together after months of separation. They felt complete. Whole. Her hand stroked his cheek as they looked into each other's eyes, before trailing down his neck and finding home on his chest, holding herself up above him.

"Я обещаю поклоняться тебе до конца моей жизни. Мой разум, тело, сердце и душа – твои."

Rose had no idea what Dimitri had said to her, but the tone alone was enough to make her feel warm and tingly. The odd word here and there - 'worship', 'heart' and 'body' – was all she needed to know that his words were full of love and tenderness.

Dimitri groaned and his eyes drew tight when she starting moving, rocking up and down as he slipped in and out of her core. His hands gripped the sheets beside him as he strained to control himself and let Rose set the pace – she needed to be in charge, he remembered.

"Roza, Блядь…"

Rose could feel the tension building in her abdomen as she rode him, pushing her higher and higher as she drew closer to her second orgasm, his length hitting her in exactly the right spot each time. Yet it wasn't enough –

"I need you to touch me," she groaned, and his hands instantaneously reached out to her, one finding home on her breasts and the other gripping her waist tightly, guiding her motions on top of him. He began to thrust up into her, their bodies meeting each other rhythmically each time.

"Oh God, Dimitri, I'm gonna –"

He didn't need her to tell him. He felt it - she convulsed around him as she shattered again, crying out his name in pleasure. His hands gripped her hips as her motions became unsteady, holding her tightly and guiding her through the waves of her orgasm.

"Can you – can you go on top? Please? I need you," she instructed when she came down from her high and her breathing returned to normal. "I need you to take control."

"Roza, are you sure? I don't want to push-"

"Please!" She interjected. "Please, I need you…"

And she really did. She was grateful that he had allowed her to be in charge and set the pace, but she needed him to show her that it was okay, that he could take control of their intimacy and she would still feel safe with him.

Understanding her completely, he sat forward and attached his lips to hers, wrapping an arm around her lower back and shifting them so that he was now on top. Still inside her, he continued thrusting in and out, her name falling from his lips like a prayer. Her hands gripped his shoulders as they moved together and it wasn't long before a familiar feeling started to build.

Dimitri wasn't far behind and his movements soon began to quicken. Needing her to reach her peak at the same time as him, his hand snaked between them until his fingers found her clit. She cried out as he circled the bud and her nails dug into his back causing him to groan.

"Roza… cum for me," he instructed, and that was all it took for her to fall apart beneath him once more. The constricting of her walls pushed him over the edge and he buried himself inside her with a groan as he came, and a surge of love emitted from the both of them.

Not wanting to crush her under his body weight, he rolled off her and lay close beside her, draping an arm over her waist and breathing heavily as they both came down from the clouds.

"Thank you," Rose managed to say in between breaths, causing Dimitri to chuckle slightly. He reached out and brushed her tousled hair out of her face.

"I didn't hurt you did I? You're not afraid?"

"Not at all," she confirmed, rolling over to face him. "That was fucking fantastic," she added, and Dimitri couldn't help but laugh again. Laying side by side, their bodies glistening with sweat and their hearts beating as one, they were the epitome of happiness.

"I'm glad you still want me in that way," she sighed, pushing him onto his back and resting her head on his chest. He instinctively wrapped his arm around her shoulders and his fingers traced patterns over her skin.

"Always, Roza," he said before placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I'll always want you… Я люблю тебя."

She smiled.

"I love you too."

* * *

**For those wondering, Dimitri said - ** _"I promise to worship you for the rest of my life. My mind, body, heart and soul are yours."_


	32. Chapter 32

**Dimitri's POV** _\- 1 month later._

"I want to do something this weekend."

Rose stood directly in front of me, hands on her hips as she looked down to where I sat sprawled across the sofa reading a western. I drew my attention away from the book and looked up at her, eyebrow cocked in curiosity.

"Like a date," she added. "Out."

I set my book down and sat up, taking one of her hands and pulling her to join me on the sofa. She instinctively nestled into my arm, resting her head on my shoulder as I twirled a lose strand of her hair around my finger.

"Really, Roza? Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course I am."

It had been nearly 3 months since Rose had returned home and although everything had returned to normality between us, we had yet to go out just the two of us and do anything remotely similar to a date. Rose had eventually returned as Vasilisa's guardian, and when I wasn't guarding Christian, my time was dedicated to tracking down _him_. A feat which was consistently proving difficult...

There hadn't been time for Roza and I to go out and just... _be_.

"I just wasn't sure you would want to," I told her, "I know you still get uncomfortable sometimes."

"Dimitri it's been months," she sighed. "I'm fine now. I've gone back to work, I can be around other people, I've moved on."

"And you still get frustrated when people stare at you or whisper."

Rose had been so angry after her first day back as Vasilisa's Guardian. The rant spilled from her lips as soon as she set one foot through the door that evening. Vasilisa had had meetings all day with various people, and Rose was angry that no matter what Vasilisa was saying or doing, all eyes had been on her the whole day. She said she could practically hear what they were thinking... questioning... speculating...

_Where had she been?_

_Why wasn't she here?_

_She probably got sick of Belikov and ran off to be a Bloodwhore…_

_Maybe she was pregnant and disappeared to get rid of it before anyone found out…_

_Why didn't she do her duty and stay here for our Queen?_

_Why…_

_Where…_

_Maybe…_

_I bet…_

"People have been staring at me my whole life," she huffed. "It gets to me sometimes, yes, but I'm sick of being cooped up in here. I love you and I want to spend some time with you where we're not just in the apartment or working or... searching for - you know."

"Okay, Roza," I agreed, steering the conversation away from darker territory. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Somewhere with pizza?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. It was such a typical 'Rose' response.

"Of course," I laughed. "I'll see what I can do."

Rose turned her head and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek. "Thank you, Comrade," she said with a grin before pushing herself up from the sofa. I watched as she walked away, just briefly catching her smile faltering when she thought I couldn't see her.

Rose was happy, she would tell me. But I knew that it was an act. A mask. Around people she would be the perfect picture of happiness, bravery, resilience... but when she thought she was alone, that facade would fade.

After the initial weeks of terror and depression when she first came home, Rose had been genuinely content. She wasn't afraid - everything had gone back to the way they were before. But as time went on, little doubts of fear began creeping their way back into her mind - _why couldn't we find him?_

He was out there somewhere – waiting. Waiting for her. We all knew it. And yet, we couldn't track him down. Months had passed since she came back and somehow we were no closer to locating him.

She wouldn't admit it, but I knew that she was terrified.

A second letter from Nathan had distinguished the immense progress she had already made, causing her bravery to come crashing down with a mighty thud.

_I'm growing impatient, Belikov. You're doing a good job at keeping her away from me. You'll slip up soon, though, and I'll no doubt have her back in my arms.  
She is MINE. Why can't you see that?  
The thought of you with her makes my skin crawl. I often imagine ripping you to pieces for touching her. How dare you touch what is mine?  
She is MINE. I OWN HER.  
What do I have to do to make you understand that?  
I'm going to make her scream and you won't be able to do anything but sit there and watch. She can join me in the immortal world and we will destroy you together. You won't ever be able to take her from me again._

This particular letter arrived two weeks ago. Knowing I needed to share it with Rose, hiding it from her didn't even cross my mind. Nathan's words were vile, disgusting, repulsive… but Rose and I were _partners_ and we would face this together. Despite the sickening threats sprawled messily across the page, I knew that another secret between us would without a doubt make things worse.

Unsurprisingly, Rose reacted the exact same way she did when the Polaroid arrived weeks ago – with utter terror. Tears fell from her face for hours on end, screaming and shaking until I managed to calm her down, reiterating my love for her, and my promise to protect her.

Since then Rose's mask of happiness had been permanently etched on her face, hiding what she was truly feeling deep inside: fear.

So her request to go out together, somewhere public, was somewhat of a shock to me. Rose pushed herself to go to work each day, to see her friends and just be 'normal' as she would put it, but I knew it took a great amount of effort to do so.

I could see behind the mask. Just as she had always been able to see through mine.

Every time her eyes subtly scanned the room. Every time her hand clutched mine just a little bit tighter when we walked past men in the street. Every time the corners of her smile faltered slightly when a thought crossed her mind.

I could see her anxiety, and I knew that her request to go somewhere was her way of staring that anxiety defiantly in the face – "you don't own me."

So I agreed. I would do absolutely anything for her, and if that meant being there to hold her hand as she tackled her worries face on, then so be it - and a date it would be.

* * *

Rose didn't come out of the bedroom until a few hours later, when a sharp rapping at the front door set us both on edge. Cautiously, I made my way to see who it was. Peering through the tiny peephole before opening the door, I came face to face with Rose's father, characteristically dressed to the nines in a vibrant suit and bright purple scarf. His dark, angry eyes and deep frown stood out sharply against the bright colours of his outfit - something had happened.

Stepping aside, I granted him entrance into our home.

"Baba? What's wrong?" Rose asked, emerging from the bedroom and following us into the lounge, her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed.

"Let's sit," came his response, and instantly we were all on edge.

Sitting side by side on the sofa, Rose instinctively reached out and intertwined her hand with mine, seeking comfort in what we knew would be an unwelcome situation.

"Abe? What's going on?"

"Nathan," he spat, standing in front of us with his arms folded tightly across his chest. "He's been spotted."

I could feel my heart immediately fall into my stomach, and Rose's hand tightened in mine to the point of pain. "What? Where? When?" I asked frantically, voicing the questions I knew the silent woman next to me had.

"Harrisburg."

"Harrisburg?" Surely he wouldn't return to somewhere so close to where he held Rose the first time… not when he knew we were looking for him.

But he was looking for _her_ too… he wanted her back, and of course it wouldn't be long before he emerged from the darkness again.

"Pavel said they have no clue where he's been for the last few months, but wherever he's been – he's back now."

"When was he sighted?" I questioned, sneaking a quick glance sideways to Rose, who was still silent beside me.

"Two nights ago."

If Nathan was in Harrisburg two nights ago, he would without a doubt have eyes on court, seeking Rose out and formulating a plan to rein her back into his arms.

"We need to go after him."

"Agreed."

A silence hung in the air as the three of us wordlessly took everything in, allowing the news to settle in our minds. Abe had without a doubt received this information not long ago, racing here to tell us straight away – he barely had the time to process the facts himself.

The threats against his daughter were now becoming far too real.

"We should go into Harrisburg," Rose stated nonchalantly beside me. "Have our date there."

Abe's look of bewilderment mirrored mine as we both turned to look at her.

"Did you not just hear what I said, Kizm?"

"Roza? Why would you suggest that knowing that _he's_ there?"

"Rose… Nathan is in Harrisburg," Abe reiterated, "or at least near there."

Rose shrugged her shoulders, brushing off our words. "We should go anyway."

"Rose…" I began, turning to rest my arm around her shoulders comfortingly. I had no idea what was running through her mind to make her react in such an indifferent way. Her abuser, the source of her fear, was mere hours away and yet, she didn't quite seem to grasp the severity of the situation.

"I'm serious," she stated, shrugging my arm off and moving to stand across the room.

My confusion was clear as she stood calmly, her hands on her hips and her eyes glistening.

"I have a plan."


	33. Chapter 33

"Dimitri, will you just calm down?" Rose asked exasperatedly, snapping Dimitri's mind from where he sat opposite her buried deep in his thoughts.

He looked up from where his fist was clenched tightly around his glass of water in front of him, to see Rose's furrowed brows and glaring eyes boring into his. He took a deep breath in an effort to calm his anxiety, relaxing his grip slightly.

"I can't calm down Roza, not when –"

"Dimitri, I get it. This is our plan, remember? I know you're not exactly happy with the situation, but I at least want to have a good night with you before it all goes down – _if_ it goes down," Rose snapped. "When was the last time we went out like this? I want to enjoy it."

Dimitri knew she was right – no matter what was going to happen tonight, he could still relish in being in Rose's company. He let go of the glass in front of him, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. Stroking his thumb across the back of her hand, he took calming breaths, focusing his attention on the softness of her warm skin.

After much convincing from Rose, Dimitri had agreed to take her out of the safety of the wards and into Harrisburg for their date – much to his reluctance. If it wasn't for the fact that the sun was still shining in the early evening, casting a warm glow into the safety of the restaurant, he would have completely tensed up. Rose's safety was everything to him and here he was, practically throwing her to the wolves.

They had chosen a small Italian restaurant not far from where Nathan had been sighted, so that Rose could, of course, have her pepperoni pizza. They had arrived in the early evening so that they could enjoy a meal together before the sun set and the safety of daylight escaped them.

Rose, wearing a simple outfit of skinny jeans, a blouse and a leather jacket, was doing everything she could to ignore the niggling feeling of fear she felt deep down. This was her idea, after all, and she knew this would be their best chance of ending this ordeal. With Nathan still out there, somewhere, she wouldn't be safe – he would always be after her, and she would never be able to fully get over the pain he inflicted on her soul. This was her chance to finally move on.

Sensing her nerves, Dimitri squeezed her hand in reassurance – a silent 'I'm here for you', which in an instant calmed her down and brought her thoughts back to the love of her life sitting opposite her. Rose was right - they almost never went out like this, even before everything happened with Nathan, and Dimitri knew he needed to savour the moment before the inevitable danger arrived.

"Roza," he began, clutching her hand tighter in his. "I want you to know that I love you with everything I have."

Rose shook her head. She had a feeling she knew this was going to be another 'I promise to protect you' speech, and while she appreciated the sentiment and knew Dimitri's words held truth, she also knew the extent of Nathan's power, and didn't want him making promises he couldn't keep. "Dimitri –"

"Roza, let me, please," Dimitri continued nervously. "Without you, my heart stops beating. Whatever happens tonight, just know that I plan to spend the –"

"Are you ready to order, handsome?"

With a sigh, Dimitri looked away from Rose and over to the blonde waitress that had untimely interrupted what he wanted to say. To say he was annoyed was a clear understatement.

"Yes we are, _thank you," _Rose interjected through gritted teeth, a scowl plastered on her face. "I'll have the pepperoni."

"Mhmm," the waitress replied nonchalantly before turning her attention back to the God in front of her. She had noticed him from the moment he walked in – his dark hair was tied at the nape of his neck, and his dark shirt did nothing to hide his chiselled muscles. She couldn't care less if he was obviously on a date - she thought she was _much_ prettier than her anyways, and would definitely be able to get his attention.

"And what can I get _you_?" She asked, licking her lips in an attempt to be 'seductive', leaning down towards him and exposing the top of her cleavage in the process. Dimitri instantly looked away with a roll of his eyes, unwilling to be subjected to her embarrassing behaviour. He only had eyes for one woman, and she was, thankfully, sitting across from him.

"I'll just have the Chicken Parmigiana, please," he replied coldly.

"Anything else you might _want_?" the waitress pushed.

"No," he stated simply. "We're good, aren't we _gorgeous_?" He asked with a wink, making a point of showing his affection towards Rose, and _Rose_ only.

Rose smiled and nodded her head in agreement and with a dejected sigh, the waitress turned away and headed to the kitchen with their order.

"Can you believe that?" Rose asked exasperatedly. "Who openly flirts with someone when they're clearly on a date?"

"People who have no respect for themselves or for others, Roza."

Rose chuckled, a rare twinkle in her eyes. "What were you saying before we were interrupted?"

"Oh, nothing," Dimitri sighed, "just that I promise I'll protect you tonight. Nothing's going to happen to you."

* * *

Rose and Dimitri had both managed to dispel their anxieties as they ate, but the moment Dimitri payed their bill and they stood from the table, their fears came crashing back into them like a tidal wave. The sun had finally set and a cloak of darkness had trapped the world outside – they were no longer safe, and anything could happen from here on out.

Instinctively, the pair reached out for one another, their hands intertwining together perfectly as they walked towards the exit in a tense silence. When they reached the door, they paused briefly, as if taking one final moment to relish in each other's company.

"Are you ready?" Rose asked, a small shake in her voice that only Dimitri could have noted.

"I am," he stated reassuringly. "Are you?"

"I think so," she whispered.

"Don't worry," Dimitri urged, removing his hand from hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. He placed a gentle kiss on the side of her head, inhaling the comforting scent of his Roza. "I'm here."

With deep breaths, they pushed open the door and stepped out into the chill of the night, starting in the direction of their car parked a few blocks away. They walked in silence, each of them scanning the area around them and looking for potential threats - looking for _him_. The only sound around them was their footsteps on the sidewalk –the streets were empty, and it only added to the eeriness and feelings of dread. They knew there was no way they could get this close to his location without him coming for her – it was only a matter of time before he emerged from the darkness.

When they reached their car and no danger had made itself known, Rose began to wonder if they had been wrong. Maybe Pavel was mistaken - maybe it hadn't been Nathan spotted in Harrisburg. Maybe Nathan had actually given up in the last month or so, no longer fuelling his desire for Rose. Maybe they were safe, after all.

Looking over to Dimitri, Rose saw that his confusion mirrored hers – he thought for sure that Nathan would come for her if he had the opportunity. His narrowed eyes darted around them, seeking out the threats in the darkness.

"Maybe we're wrong. Maybe he's not here after all?" Rose questioned, barely audibly. "Maybe Baba was wrong?"

"Harrisburg is quite big, Rose," Dimitri replied, his voice low and quiet also. "Maybe he moved on."

"I thought he would come," she replied with a sigh. "How are we ever going to find him now, if he's not going to come for me when I'm literally a walking target?"

Rose was beginning to let her fears get the better of her, working herself towards a panic attack and Dimitri knew it. He quickly stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her tightly, knowing the urgency of calming her down – she couldn't panic, not here, not when danger was still potentially lurking around the corner. She instinctively leaned into his embrace, wrapping her own arms underneath his duster and around his waist.

"Roza, I promise you, we will find him," he stated. "I promised to protect you and I will, and that means hunting him down no matter what it takes."

"But it's taken us this long to –"

"Rose. It's okay," he interjected her worries, refusing to let her succumb to them. "Let's just go home, we can find him another way. A safer way."

"Okay," she sighed sadly, stepping back from Dimitri's warmth, attempting to recollect her confidence. "Let the others know."

Dimitri pulled out his phone as Rose continued to search the area with her worried eyes. He sent a message to Pavel informing the team to stand down before returning his cell to his pocket, turning back to Rose, checking to see if she was ready to leave.

"Dimitri?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for a lovely date," she stated with a genuine smile, grateful at having the opportunity to spend such valuable time with Dimitri, even if their plan hadn't worked out.

Not needing words, Dimitri simply leaned down and placed a tender kiss on her soft lips. He was about to pull away when Rose's hands came up and gripped the lapels of his duster, pulling him flush against her. She stood on her tiptoes, deepening the kiss and sending a wave of warmth through their bodies. His hands reached out and rested on her waist, gripping her hips tightly as their lips tangled together.

In that moment, it was just the two of them. The true picture of love, each found themselves lost in each other's touch.

It was a shock then, when neither had expected Rose to be physically torn from Dimitri's arms.

In a flash, she was snatched from his embrace, letting out a blood curdling scream as her heart leapt into her throat. She was violently dragged away from him, with no time to react.

Confused and disoriented from their kiss suddenly breaking, Dimitri barely registered what was happening before a blow to the head found him crashing to the ground with a mighty thump, the darkness of unconsciousness consuming him. They had expected an attack, but what they hadn't expected was to be ambushed before they had a chance to defend themselves.

The only thoughts racing through his mind were of Rose – he had broken his promise.

He hadn't protected her – again.


	34. Chapter 34

"_No!" Dimitri yelled, leaping up from where he sat on the sofa. Unable to control his anger, he made even Abe flinch from across the room. "_Absolutely _not!"_

"_Dimitri-"_

"_Don't even think about it Rose, I'm not risking your life like that!"_

_Running a hand through his hair, Dimitri began pacing the room, as Rose stood unsure what to do in front of him. Sparing a look to her father, who was just as confused at her actions, he simply shrugged, seemingly agreeing with Dimitri's reaction._

"_But –" she began, recoiling when Dimitri cut her off again._

"_No, Rose! Enough!"_

_Rose was beginning to get frustrated. She knew that this would be their best chance to finally take down the monster, and Dimitri was refusing to see that – instead focusing on the risks involved and treating her like a fragile china doll._

"_Would you just let me speak?!" She yelled back, instantly halting Dimitri in his repetitive tracks. He furrowed his brows in irritation, but complied none the less and let her continue. "I'm just saying, that if we head outside the wards, to somewhere he's likely to be, surely he'd come for me?"_

"_Exactly! I'm not voluntarily putting you in the line of fire!"_

_Why couldn't Rose see just how dangerous this was? Dimitri couldn't understand why she would allow such a risk to her life, especially as it had taken so long for her to get to a point of normality again!_

"_Dimitri! Just calm down and let me finish!" She shouted, folding her arms defiantly. "If he knows I'm vulnerable then we'd be able to lure him out and finally take him down."_

_A deep sigh escaped Dimitri's lips and, knowing he was fighting a losing battle, he sunk back down onto the sofa and hung his head in his hands._

"_And what happened in the caves? When we knew he'd be there? He got you, Rose," he stated, barely audibly._

"_We're more prepared this time," Rose shrugged._

"_She has a point there, Son," Abe agreed, moving to sit next to his daughter's boyfriend on the sofa._

_Dimitri's head shot up, his glaring eyes boring into the man's next to him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing!_

"_You're agreeing with her?!"_

"_This might be our only chance," Abe responded, and Rose nodded in agreement, thankful her father was realising what she had._

"_If we had our date in Harrisburg, he'd without a doubt find me, and that's our chance to take him down," she explained, taking a step closer to Dimitri and gently pushing his hair back from his face. Instinctively, he leant into her touch, taking a deep breath to calm his anger. "We keep him busy while we wait for back up, and then with all of us there he doesn't stand a chance."_

_Dimitri shook his head._

"_It's too dangerous, Rose."_

* * *

If he could, Dimitri would kick himself for not standing his ground further - this whole ordeal _was_ too dangerous! Unfortunately, that would have been quite hard to do, considering he found himself groggily drifting in and out of consciousness in a moving vehicle.

Struggling to focus on anything in particular, one thing he knew for sure was that his head _killed._ A painful, dull ache encased his skull – the pain so intense he barely registered the discomfort around his wrists. As his mind was doing all it could to pull itself from the blackness of sleep, through blurry eyes he noticed the restraints on his wrists, tightly tying his hands close together, preventing him from any movement.

Darkness, blur, darkness, blur… it was a losing battle – the harsh blow to the head had Dimitri struggling to stay awake and his eyelids began to feel as heavy as a tonne of bricks. His willpower to drag himself from sleep was overpowered by his body's desire to give in, but he knew there was something important… something important to protect, to save…

"Roza…" he tried to call out, searching for her, but he found himself gagged and unable to make more than a muffled groan.

_Roza…_

As his vision blurred into reality again, he blearily registered an unconscious form slumped next to him in the car - her dark, tousled hair falling across her face, obscuring her beauty.

_Roza…_

He tried to reach across to her, before the darkness surrounded him once again and he fell into the depths of unconsciousness.

* * *

Rose felt a chill of dread shoot down her spine, as she found herself emerging from nothingness into whatever hell awaited her. The ache in her chest told her that wherever she was, danger was afoot.

_What had happened?_

She and Dimitri were one minute wrapped in each other's arms, the next dragged apart without warning, knocked unconscious and thrown into the back of a car and taken God knows where.

"Fuck," Rose groaned, as she struggled to see through the blurriness of her vision.

When she could see clearly, she found herself tied to a chair, in a cold, concrete room. She couldn't help but notice the similarities to the last time she was in Nathan's clutches – no windows, just one lonesome door between her and freedom. She silently thanked God that, this time, no bed was to be seen.

Trying as hard as she could to ignore the pain searing through her body, she scanned the room for any possible hidden escape routes, or any weapons she could find. Unfortunately, the room was bare, besides her chair and… Dimitri's.

Her eyes landed on his lifeless form, he too restrained tightly to a chair across the room from her. His head had fallen forward, his dark hair cascading across his face like a thick curtain, the only tell-tale sign of life was that of his shoulders, moving ever so slightly as he breathed slowly.

"Dimitri?" She whispered. "Dimitri –"

Without warning, the door to the room swung open and her stomach instinctively churned at the sight of the Strigoi smirking at her. All her feelings of fear, terror, and disgust came flooding back to her and she felt her heart rate increase tenfold as bile formed in her throat. Visions of his leering face staring down at her as his hands eagerly roamed her body clouded her mind, and it was all she could do not to let tears spill across her cheeks.

"Hello my love," Nathan leered, stepping into the room and walking over to where she sat helpless. "It's nice of you to join me again. I missed you."

He reached out and stroked her hair gently, relishing in the first touch of her in months. "Did you miss me?"

Rose, summoning all the courage she could muster, simply stared up at him, never breaking eye contact. Irritated, Nathan's hand stopped smoothing her head, choosing instead to grip her chin so painfully it caused her to wince.

"Rose, I asked you a question. Have you forgotten your manners since you left me?" He asked, lowering his face so that it was level with hers, his crimson eyes staring intently into hers. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes."

A chuckle escaped Nathan's lips, but his brows furrowed in confusion none the same – this was unprecedented. Releasing Rose's face from his strong grip, he stepped back, eager to see where this was going.

"Well that wasn't the answer I was expecting, considering you couldn't wait to get away from me before."

Rose flexed her jaw, trying to ignore the ache left from where Nathan's hand just rested. "I realised something, when I went home," she explained with a smile, staring warmly up at him.

"And what was that?"

"I don't love _him_ anymore." The gesture of her head showed that she was talking about the man slumped unconscious across the room.

Nathan raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this revelation. This was something he definitely hadn't been expecting. Screaming and crying, he had expected that – but an empowering feeling of warmth was a new development.

"Oh?"

"I – I love you," Rose continued confidently, unable to miss the brief way his eyes widened and shoulders tensed. This was music to his ears. "When I got home, I thought about everything you said. You and I together, our power, how great we could be, and… I agree."

Almost as quickly as his eyes widened, they narrowed again into a look of confusion and disbelief. Surely, this was a trap? He had to be falling into some kind of deception. It was everything he wanted – power, and Rose by his side. It had to be too good to be true.

"I don't believe you."

"Why do you think I came to Harrisburg?" She questioned urgently. "I knew you were there. Why would I do that if I didn't want to find you? I knew you'd come for me."

"You were on a date with _him_," he sneered, spitting in the unconscious man's direction to show his distaste.

"That was the only way I could get out of the wards," Rose explained softly. "Please believe me Nathan. I love you."

Taking a deep breath, she continued, her sincere eyes never breaking contact with his. "I _need_ you."

Nathan felt his dick twitch in anticipation; he couldn't recall how many times he wished Rose would tell him that. But he couldn't help but listen to the undeniable feeling that this was a lie…

"If you love me then kiss me," he dared, stepping closer and leaning down to attach his lips hungrily to hers.

Almost as urgently, she responded by kissing him back with an intense desire. Restricted by the restraints on her arms, she put as much passion into the kiss as she could muster. With a groan, Nathan's tongue forced its way past her lips and Rose eagerly complied, moaning at the way their tongues danced together. He could feel his desire for her growing as the seconds flew by - it wouldn't be long before he wouldn't be able to control himself. Unfortunately for him, Rose needed to breathe, and he reluctantly pulled away, licking his lips to chase her taste.

"Fuck..."

"See?" Rose laughed through heavy breaths. "I love you."

"Hmm…"

"If you untie me, I promise you can have me forever, however you want – Dhampir, or… Strigoi," she urged. "I just want to be with you."

Still wary, Nathan reached out and twisted a strand of her hair around his index finger. He desperately wanted to believe her.

"Do you realise how awful the last few months have been?" Rose pleaded, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Dimitri can't fuck me like you can."

Nathan couldn't help the chortle that escaped his throat, throwing his head back in laughter.

"Okay, _that_ I believe."

"I _need_ you, Nathan," Rose continued, ignoring his laughter. "Properly. Where I'm not tied down or too high from your bite to realise what's happening. I want to _be with_ you."

"Fuck," Nathan groaned, "you have no idea how much I want to believe you, Rose."

"I promise. Let me _show_ you how much I love you."

Nathan eyed her warily, his head telling him that something was wrong, that this was all a ruse, but the bulge in his pants and thirst for her blood were urging him to ignore his gut. He _wanted _her, and now, it seemed, she wanted him too. This was something he had craved since the moment Dimitri dragged her into Galina's estate back in Russia. Something that was constantly niggling at his thoughts. He _wanted_ her.

Against his better judgement, he frantically began to untie Rose's restraints, his heavy breathing doing nothing to hide his desire for her.

"Upstairs, now. There's a bedroom," he smirked, as he hastily pulled Rose from her chair urgently and headed for the door, ignoring the pleas from the back of his mind that this was _not_ going to end well.

* * *

Free from her ties, Rose took her chance. She couldn't believe it had worked! With his back turned, she struck out, knocking him to his knees with one swift kick. Not expecting it, Nathan cried out, unable to respond before she was on top of him, landing blow after blow to the back of his head.

As if Rose could ever love someone like _him_! As if she would _ever_ want to be with him, _fuck_ him, after what he did to her! After he _destroyed_ her! She threw as much anger as she could into each punch, determined to end this once and for all.

Finally registering what was happening, Nathan shook her off him, scrambling to his feet in a flash and turning to face her with a snarl, his fury clear in his red eyes.

"Fucking bitch!" He spat, lunging at her.

Rose was quick, though, and dodged his advances effortlessly, darting out of his reach and subsequently landing a kick to his stomach, followed by an uppercut to his chin as he doubled over. She was relentless - striking, kicking, landing numerous blows to the vile creature until he found himself on the floor, trapped beneath her surprisingly strong body weight as she continued her ministrations.

This was it, she could feel it! She was finally going to finish this! He would never come near her again, he wouldn't –

A groggy groan from the side of the room had her head snapping up and looking towards the direction of the still unconscious man tied to his own chair.

Dimitri.

Her heart leapt in her throat, and that was all it took for Nathan to take his window of opportunity. He struck out, pushing her off him and flipping them over so that she was now trapped beneath _his_ body weight. His hand wrapped tightly around her throat and he angrily landed consecutive blows to the side of her face with the other, a deep bruise forming already under her eye. Her lip split open, blood trickling down her chin, which he wasted no time in licking off her delicious skin as he continued to strangle her.

Rose's vision blurred as she frantically tried to catch her breath, trying as hard as she could to push him off her, but it was no use.

She soon found herself surrounded by darkness once more.


	35. Chapter 35

When Dimitri came to, his instincts had him immediately scanning the area for threats, only for his concerned eyes to instantly land on Rose's bloodshot and terror-filled ones. His heart immediately broke at the sight of her fear, but when he noticed the deep, purple contusion on her cheek, and her split, swollen lip, he felt his blood boil.

Tied to a chair, gagged and bruised, Rose wanted nothing more than to feel the comfort of Dimitri's warm embrace – she needed him. She needed him to tell her that it was all going to be okay, that they would get out of this. She had desperately tried to save herself and get out of this mess, but she felt that she had just made their situation a whole lot worse; Nathan was angry, and they were going to pay for that.

Dimitri racked his brain for any way to help his girlfriend, but his movements too, were restricted. Like Rose, his arms were tied to the wooden arms of the chair and a scrap piece of material was wrapped tightly around his head, caught between his jaws in an effort to gag him.

He couldn't do anything if he tried.

He tried as hard as he could to send a wave of comfort and warmth across the room to Rose, conveying in his eyes how deeply sorry he was – this was his fault, and now Rose was hurt. He hadn't known how long he was unconscious for, but he prayed to God that Nathan hadn't taken his chance to _hurt_ her now that she was back in his clutches – Dimitri wasn't sure he'd be able to handle that again, not without completely breaking down.

Seemingly knowing what his look of worry was portraying, Rose shook her head as if to answer his silent question – they didn't need words to communicate, they never had, and this time was no different. It was as though they were able to have entire conversations in such a short moment of eye contact; their hearts beat as one, their souls connected and minds always on the same page. The tightness in Dimitri's chest released slightly in relief, but he knew there was still danger to come, and they needed to get out of there.

As if on cue, the two lovers heard footsteps approaching the door. Rose's clenched hands began shaking and a single, fearful tear escaped down her cheek, while Dimitri's anger simply grew tenfold. This rage only increased further when Nathan pushed open the door with a devilish smirk on his face, waltzing into the room and making his was straight to where Rose sat, helpless.

"Hello again my love," he purred, reaching out and gently stroking his thumb over the bruise he left on her cheek not long ago. "Are you going to behave for me now?"

Rose tried to recoil away from his touch, and a deep growl escaped Dimitri's throat from across the rooms as he desperately tried to break his arms free. Nathan looked up from Rose and towards the perpetrator of the interruption, as if only now remembering he was there.

The urge to torment him was great, and Nathan's grin grew wider. With a wink to Dimitri, he gripped Rose's chin firmly in his hands, turning her head to the side, and slowly licked a trail from her collarbone to just below her ear. Rose whimpered at the vile contact, while Dimitri's fury had him seething and shaking in anger.

He couldn't help the ferocious growl that echoed across the room, and Nathan simply rolled his eyes in annoyance. Releasing his grip from Rose's face, he sauntered towards Dimitri with snarled teeth and furrowed brows.

"Do you have a problem, Dimitri?" he questioned harshly, pulling the gag from between his teeth. "Do you have a problem with me touching _my_ property?"

Dimitri's eyes narrowed, glaring up at Nathan who was mere inches from his face. He refused to answer him, but Nathan didn't seem to mind and only continued his threats.

"I sure hope you don't think that you still have a claim on her. Not when she doesn't belong to _you._"

Dimitri snapped.

"She's not _property_, she –"

An unexpected blow to the jaw had him stopping mid-sentence, wincing in pain.

"Interrupt me again and you'll fucking regret it," he snarled, before standing up straight and pacing the room dramatically, stopping occasionally to fix Dimitri with a teasing glare. "Those weeks when she was with me were the greatest of my long, long life. Did she tell you how good I fucked her? How I had her screaming over and over again, begging me for more. No? Shame. I'll have to tell you myself –"

Rose whimpered suddenly, her terror getting the better of her and not wanting to hear what would undoubtedly be a vile recount of her torment.

"Quiet, pet," Nathan hushed, looking towards her with a look of irritation. "I'll deal with you in a minute," he added, before addressing Dimitri once more. "Oh yes, her insides felt so good wrapped around my cock – so tight, so warm. And when she let me feed from her as I pounded into her… pure bliss."

Dimitri's eyes were now black with rage, and he desperately tried to free himself again – he wanted to -_ needed _to - rip the fucker's head clean off his shoulders for what he did to his Roza. A frustrated snarl escaping his lips as his attempt to escape proved no use.

"What? Does that make you angry? Angry to know how good I made her feel – every. Single. Fucking. Day. More than once a day sometimes – she just _needed_ me so badly."

Nathan chortled at Dimitri's look of pure hatred, before turning his attention back to the helpless woman in front of him. Taunting Dimitri was almost as satisfying as the terror he inflicted on his woman – almost, but not quite.

Walking back to stand in front of Rose, ensuring to stand at an angle so that Dimitri could see _exactly _what he did, he reached out and affectionately smoothed back her soft hair.

"Don't touch her," Dimitri growled furiously.

Nathan ignored him, pulling on Rose's hair in order to tilt her head back and expose her neck to his hungry mouth, causing a muffled, frightened yelp to spill over her lips.

"I said – don't. Fucking. Touch. Her."

Nathan couldn't help the sinister laugh that escaped his lips.

"When are you going to learn that she's mine to do as I please with?" he questioned, throwing an exasperated look across the room to the livid man. "Now, let's have some fun shall we?"


	36. Chapter 36

"_Don't touch her," Dimitri growled furiously._

_Nathan ignored him, pulling on Rose's hair in order to tilt her head back and expose her neck to his hungry mouth, causing a muffled, frightened yelp to spill over her lips._

"_I said – don't. Fucking. Touch. Her."_

_Nathan couldn't help the sinister laugh that escaped his lips._

"_When are you going to learn that she's mine to do as I please with?" he questioned, throwing an exasperated look across the room to the livid man. "Now, let's have some fun shall we?"_

* * *

Casting one final wink to Dimitri, Nathan returned his attention to Rose. With an eager lick of his lips, he exposed his fangs to her, leaning down to pierce her skin. What he hadn't been expecting, however, was Rose to thrash her head forward, knocking into him with a harsh thud as she head-butted him.

Dimitri felt a wave of pride rush over him as he watched his love's attempt to defend herself, but this was quickly replaced with a mixture of terror and anger as Nathan's fist collided violently with her jaw and a yelp fell from beneath her gag.

His hand tangled its way into her hair again forcefully, ensuring she looked up at him as he snarled down at her.

"Come on now, Gorgeous - we want to give our guest a good show, don't we?" he taunted, his grip in her hair tightening. "Although I'm not sure you deserve the bite after all, not after your behaviour today. Only good girls get bitten. It's too bad really, remember just how good it felt before – the combination of our bodies moving as one, the thrill of the bite…"

Nathan's free hand began trailing her body, his fingers stroking the exposed skin of her neck and along her defined collarbone.

"You loved it," he added with a smirk, before continuing his ministrations on her body.

Rose began to shake in distress, knowing exactly what Nathan had planned for her – after all, she had seen that same look in his eye day in day out when he had her captured before. It was a look she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon. Permanently etched into her memory, it had haunted her dreams for nights on end.

His hand eagerly travelled southward, along the curvature of her chest, snaking down her waist, before disappearing beneath the waistband of her jeans. When he settled at her most intimate area, a pleasured groan escaped his lips, while Rose's fear increased tenfold. With a whimper, she tried to wriggle out of his hold on her, but the restrictions on her arms held her tightly in place. Unable to defend herself from what she knew was to come, choked sobs emitted from her throat as tears fell across her cheeks, causing Dimitri's heart to break in two as he was subjected to her torment.

At that moment, all he saw was red.

With an unprecedented rage and a mighty roar, Dimitri's hands clutched angrily at the arm rests attached beneath his arms. Watching his Roza helpless, distraught, being subjected to this vile behaviour, Dimitri showed a level of fury never seen before. With a satisfying crack, the wood beneath his right arm snapped, effectively freeing his restricted hold.

Before Nathan could react, Dimitri tore his other arm free from its bounds, surprising even himself at his strength. Wasting no precious time, he hurled himself across the room, crashing into Nathan with all his might and tackling him to the ground. In the fray, Rose's chair toppled over and she fell to the ground, her head hitting the concrete floor with a loud crack. Still conscious, she cried out – she could instantly feel blood trickling down her neck from the impact.

With a growl, Nathan leapt up, taking a swing at the perpetrator of his attack. Despite his taller, bigger build, Dimitri dodged his advances effortlessly before dealing a harsh punch to his jaw. He followed with a quick blow to the stomach, causing the Strigoi to hunch over, allowing Dimitri the opportunity to kick his legs out from underneath him.

He followed him instantly to the ground, throwing his entire body weight on top of him to trap him below. He landed two successive hits to the face before Nathan retaliated, striking out. His sharp nails caught Dimitri's cheek, causing him to hiss in pain as Nathan tore the skin.

Utilising the distraction, Nathan powerfully pushed Dimitri off of him, throwing him across the room with all his strength. Dimitri's body flew through the air, crashing violently into the far wall. He groaned on impact as he fell to the floor, pain coursing through his bones.

Righting himself, Dimitri looked up to find Nathan heading towards where Rose lay on the floor, still restrained and helplessly watching the scene unfold before her. When he reached her, he crouched down, baring his teeth in rage.

Before he could hurt her, however, Dimitri lunged at him again, knocking him away and into the air before he could lay a finger on her. A loud crack echoed through the room as Nathan's body flew onto the floor, and Dimitri used the few second's leeway to rush to Rose and attempt to loosen her restraints. A feeling of worry encased his heart as he saw the blood spilling from her head, but there was no time to dwell on it now.

Her head was killing her, but she felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins, despite her body screaming at her to just give in and sleep. There was no point, after all – they never won. Nathan always overpowered them, and she knew this time would be no different.

Unfortunately, Dimitri was only able to free one of her wrists before Nathan not-unexpectedly retaliated. He swung at Dimitri and the two engaged their attacks once more. Quite evenly matched, it wasn't obvious who would come out on top. Dimitri's fury had tripled his strength, while Nathan's Strigoi power meant he could take much more damage than the Dhampir. Each landed numerous blows on the other, inflicting damage left, right and centre.

* * *

One particular strike to the ribs had Dimitri doubled over in pain, and Nathan found his opportunity. Grabbing Dimitri by the shoulders and throwing him up against the wall, Nathan had him trapped. With a smirk, his hands clasped tightly around Dimitri's neck, closing his airway and stripping him of breath.

Dimitri clutched at his arms, trying to loosen his grip, but it proved no use. He quickly felt himself struggling, his chest tightening from the lack of air and vision blurring strongly. He couldn't help but dwell on how he had let Rose down, let Abe down, let _everybody_ down – he promised to protect her, but death was lurking round the corner, and he knew that Rose's would follow not long after his own.

He took a small amount of selfish comfort in that fact, hoping that they would find each other again in whatever world awaited them in the afterlife. He would have preferred Rose to live on – to live a long and happy life, but he knew that Heaven would never truly be complete without Roza by his side.

With his thoughts focussed on the love of his life, Dimitri stopped struggling, seemingly accepting what would happen next. He had fought to protect Rose - he had done all he could but it had proved no use. He wanted to put up a fight and he willed his body to carry on, but it simply screamed at him, urging him to give in.

Nathan recognised his look of acceptance and grinned, relishing in his apparent victory, his grip tightening further around Dimitri's neck. When something sharp unexpectedly pierced through his back, however, his own eyes widened in shock before his face contorted in pain as the offending item impaled his heart.

In the distraction of Dimitri's attack, Rose had managed to remove her gag and free her other arm, ignoring the dull ache taking control of her mind and body. Blood continued to pour from the impact on her head, but she knew Dimitri needed her.

After frantically untying her restraints, she had pushed herself off the ground, instantly scanning the room for some sort of weapon. Her eyes had landed on Dimitri's broken chair, and memories of Russia came flooding back instantaneously. Memories of herself throwing a wooden chair over and over again until it broke, memories of threatening Inna with the shards for the code to the door, and one particular memory of Dimitri's face, eyes widening in shock as she plunged it into his cold heart.

Knowing what she needed to do, Rose had reached for the broken arm rest discarded on the floor, and with as much strength as she could muster, snuck up behind the Strigoi and impaled his heart.

His body fell to the floor when Rose removed the makeshift stake, releasing Dimitri from his hold as he did so. Spluttering for lost breath, Dimitri hunched over, coughing and wheezing until he felt his lungs fill with air once more.

"Roza…" he croaked, reaching out and taking her hand tightly in his. She felt cold, and the dull look in her eyes told him that she was struggling to maintain control over her body, the pain from her injuries taking over.

"He won't be out for long," Rose managed to say, her vision blurring by the second.

Dimitri looked down at the unconscious body on the floor, and his rage slammed back into him. His eyes darkened and a deep growl escaped his lips.

"Give me that," he snarled, taking the wooden item from Rose's weak hand.

Without hesitation, Dimitri brought the makeshift stake swiftly down into the Strigoi's neck, before pulling it back out and impaling him again. He stabbed him over and over again, slicing and chopping with everything he had, not caring about the blood splattering all over his body, until finally, Nathan's head was no longer intact.

Yet, it wasn't enough.

It would never be enough.

With a ferocious roar, Dimitri stabbed him repeatedly – his face, his chest, his stomach… no part was left untouched. He had to pay, he _needed_ to pay for what he did. How dare he touch her? How dare he inflict such pain on someone he loved? How dare he even think about –

"Dimitri!"

How dare he –

"Dimitri!"

A fragile hand caught his arm, effectively halting his rampage on Nathan's lifeless body. Rubbing soothing circles on the bottom of his back, Rose brought his attention back to Earth.

"He's dead," she whispered.

With a sigh, Dimitri stepped forward and wiped a relieved tear falling from Rose's tired eyes.

"He's dead," she repeated, as if to herself, before her vision blurred once more and she felt herself losing control over her limbs.

As her body unexpectedly fell to the floor, Dimitri reached out and caught her, taking her in his arms and following her to the ground, protecting her from the impact. His heart was in his throat as Rose's eyes slowly closed, her breathing becoming faint.

The last thing Rose remembered before passing out, was Dimitri's frantic look as he called her name, pleading her to stay with him.


	37. Chapter 37

"There's no sign of a struggle," Pavel grumbled in confusion, after circling the area for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Receiving a text from Dimitri telling the team to stand down hadn't sat well with Pavel, and his instincts told him that something wasn't quite right. When the Guardian registered vehicle hadn't passed their standby location - which it would have if the young couple were returning home as they said - Pavel knew that they needed to act quickly.

They had raced to the location, expecting to find Belikov and Hathaway engaged in a fight with Strigoi. Only, when they arrived, the atmosphere was eerily quiet. Being late evening in the 'human' world, the lighting was incredibly dark, with the moon casting shadows all around the parking lot. Shadows in which plenty of Strigoi could be lurking – waiting, preying, watching…

There was no battle taking place. No cries of fury, no grunts of impact – just a lonely sedan parked under a street lamp, with their peers not anywhere to be seen.

Something was definitely wrong.

"Castille?" Pavel called out. "Have you got anything?"

"No, Sir," Eddie replied solemnly, standing up straight from where he had been crouched at the driver's side of the black sedan. "Nothing."

That wasn't what Pavel needed to hear. Once again, his boss's daughter was missing – a girl he himself had become quite fond of since their reconciliation – and there were no leads as to where she was; only a horrible sinking feeling that he knew exactly who had taken her.

"Dammit!" he growled, kicking the back tyre of the vehicle in frustration.

At that moment, Guardian Croft waltzed up to join his fellow crew. Already unhappy with being roped into this 'pointless suicide mission' as he called it, he was proving to be remarkably unhelpful.

"I've checked with the owner of the restaurant they went to – he recognised them," he grumbled. "Said they left and came this way."

"So where are they then?" Abe's voice joined the conversation, having snuck up on the three men with such stealth a Guardian would be impressed. "Where's my daughter?"

"I thought I told you to stay in the car, Abe?" Pavel sighed, although not surprised at his charge's actions – Abe often marched to the beat of his own drum. "It's bad enough you insisted on coming anyway."

"Pavel, you know I would have found my own way here if you forced me to stay back at court," he swiftly replied with a shrug. "At least this way I'm with you"

An exasperated sigh escaped the Guardian's lips. It was at times like these in which there was really no doubt of Rose's paternity, the both of them behaving in such strikingly similar ways. Pavel suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for Belikov - having been Abe Mazur's Guardian for decades, he knew exactly what he would be putting up with in his relationship with Rose. Although, it was all in good jest – Pavel wouldn't want to guard anybody else; he held a great deal of respect for _Zmey_, and their time together had built the foundations for a very strong friendship.

"So, did you find anything?" Abe asked, anxiously fiddling with the ends of his messy beard. Pavel noted that while Abe was often reserved, calm and collected – when it came to Rose, he was anything but.

"Not a thing. Their car's still here, locked – no sign of a struggle nearby."

"They've disappeared," Croft added unhelpfully, causing Abe's blood to start to boil.

"They haven't 'disappeared', Croft – they've been taken," he objected.

"There's no evidence of that."

"The evidence is exactly what my daughter has been put through for the last few months!"

A shrill ringing echoed between the men, thankfully cutting off what was inevitably going to be a heated argument. Pavel pulled his phone from his pocket, breathing a sigh of relief as he recognised the caller ID.

"Belikov! Where are you?"

"_It's Rose – she's hurt," _the man on the other end of the phone replied frantically. _"We need your help."_

Pavel's relief instantly turned to fear, and as much as he tried to hide his worry, Abe caught on to his Guardian's change of expression straight away.

"Pavel, what's going on?" he asked, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach.

"_You have to hurry, please."_

"Belikov, what's happened? Where are you?" Pavel asked, turning and leading the group of men back to their own vehicle.

"_It's Rose – he attacked her. She hit her head and now she's collapsed. Nathan he – he's –"_

"Belikov, calm down! Take a breath – you need to tell us where you are."

"_I'm not sure – I've managed to get us outside," _Dimitri answered, still panicked._ "It's some kind of disused factory. Red brick walls, chimneys… There are trees in the distance – lots of them."_

After strapping himself into the driver's seat, Eddie settled into the passenger side, with Hans and Abe opting for the back. Upon hearing Dimitri's description, Pavel's brows furrowed. It sounded familiar…

"I know where you are," he said suddenly, switching on the ignition. "We passed it the last time."

Pavel recognised the location as a building they had stumbled across during their search for Rose a few months back. Stood near the abundance of forest concealing the house she was held in before, was an abandoned factory. What it had been used for Pavel didn't know, but he couldn't believe that Nathan would be so bold as to abduct her again, and take her somewhere as close to the previous location as this was.

"_дерьмо, yes it is."_

"We're on our way."

"_Hurry," _was all Dimitri said, before Pavel hung up and swung out of the parking lot, tyres screeching as they sped in the direction of the couple needing their help.

"What's going on?" Abe asked, sitting forward to speak to Pavel, worry clear in his voice.

"Rose is hurt," Pavel answered solemnly. "Belikov's managed to get her outside. He's described an out-of-business factory we passed the last time we found her."

"Any danger?" Eddie asked from the passenger seat.

"He didn't say."

* * *

As soon as they pulled up to the building, each of their hearts sank as they saw Dimitri cradling Rose's lifeless body on the ground. He was frantically murmuring to her in his native language, stroking her hair out of her face and rocking gently back and forth.

"Belikov!" Pavel called out, rushing out of the car after instructing the three other men to stay put.

Dimitri's eyes snapped up to the familiar face, relieved that they had managed to get to them so quickly.

"Come on, we have to hurry. She's not looking good," he urged before turning his attention back to the woman in his arms. "Roza, please don't go to sleep on me."

"Wait – Nathan, is he –"

"Dead," Dimitri stated through gritted teeth. "We killed him before she collapsed."

"Any other Strigoi in there?"

"No it was just him," he explained, scrambling to his feet and lifting Rose gently in his arms. "Come on, we have to go. Now."

Returning to the car, Dimitri managed to squeeze them both in, laying Rose cautiously across the back seat. Eddie, Pavel and Abe were silently thankful they had signed out one of the larger vehicles, allowing both Rose and Dimitri to join them on their journey safely. Once Rose was secure, Dimitri squeezed in beside her, anxiously holding her hand and willing her to be okay. As they set off, Abe risked a look back at his unconscious daughter.

"Kizim… shit," he stuttered, before turning back to his Guardian in the driver's seat. "Drive, now. I don't care how many laws we have to break, we need to get back to Court."

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Pavel had indeed broken numerous traffic laws and speed restrictions, finding their way back to Court in record time. The car had barely pulled to a stop before Dimitri had darted out, rushing into the hospital with Rose in his arms. Thankfully, they had called ahead, and there were multiple doctors and nurses on standby, prepared for the arrival of the Queen's head Guardian.

"Guardian Hathaway – head wound, likely other internal injuries," Dimitri informed them, placing Rose onto a waiting bed, ready to wheel her away to be looked at.

About to follow, Dimitri was stopped in his tracks as a voice called out behind him. Reluctantly, he watched as Rose was carted off, and turned to find Lissa and Christian making their way towards him, worry clear on their faces, followed by a handful of the royal guard.

"Dimitri!" Lissa called. "What happened, is she okay?"

"I don't know – shit," Dimitri ran a hand through his tousled hair, a sign of his evident concern and worry for his girlfriend. "She hit her head and –"

"You're not looking too good yourself, man," Christian cut in, his brow furrowing at the state of his Guardian - bruised, bloody and dishevelled.

"Doesn't matter," Dimitri replied curtly. "Rose is –"

"Seriously dude, that cut on your cheek looks nasty."

"I'll get it sorted after I know she's okay," he protested. "I can wait."

"Dimitri, let _me_ help you at least?" Lissa suggested, reaching forward towards Dimitri.

"No – I'm fine. Rose needs you, you can help _her_," he pleaded, knowing that Rose's chances would be much greater if Lissa lent her helping hands.

One of the Queen's Guardians stepped forward, clearing his throat apprehensively.

"Ma'am, that's not a good idea," he warned.

Lissa spun around quick as a flash, narrowing her eyes at the man who spoke.

"And why the hell not?"

"We can't go in with you and –"

"We're in a fucking hospital for Vlad's sakes! Nothing's going to happen, and my best friend needs me! Not to mention she's technically your _boss_!"

"Yes, but –"

"Enough!" She interjected, holding up a hand to silence him. "Wait out here," she added, before turning her attention back to Dimitri. "I'll be back, Dimitri. She'll be okay."

Placing a gentle hand on his arm, Lissa shot him a look of reassurance. She felt a deep sense of concern for Rose, and would do everything she possibly could to help her. As she walked away in the direction of wherever Rose was taken, Dimitri felt a slight feeling of relief, knowing that Lissa would use her expertise to help the person they both deeply cared for.

"Relax man, Lissa's good – you know she is," Christian said, knowing his Guardian still worried. "Rose is going to be okay."

"I hope so," Dimitri sighed.

"I know so," Christian promised, before drawing the conversation back to Dimitri's own health. "But you should really get that looked at, before it gets infected."

* * *

"Well, Guardian Belikov, you're all done," the kind nurse stated, wiping the cut on Dimitri's cheek one final time. "It might take a while to heal properly, and you've likely got some bruising on your ribs, but that will heal in time."

Dimitri nodded and gave her his gratitude, glad for the throbbing pain in his cheek to have stopped. Christian had been right - the cut on his cheek had been nasty, and despite his need to ensure that Rose was okay, he too needed to be checked over.

Once the nurse left, allowing Dimitri the opportunity to pull his shirt gently back over his head, Christian piped up from where he had been sat quietly on the opposite side of the room.

"What happened, man?"

"Nathan jumped us, knocked us out. Took us to some factory and had us tied to chairs," Dimitri explained. "He threatened us, and he was going to – you know."

Christian frowned, and an angry, sickening feeling overcame him. Solemnly, he nodded his head in understanding.

"I managed to get free and attacked him, but we accidently knocked Rose's chair over. She hit her head – pretty badly."

"Shit…"

"He overpowered me but Rose managed to get free and staked him with the broken chair. I cut his head off after that."

"Good," Christian stated, his sense of pride for his Guardian coming through strong. He knew that Dimitri was a fantastic Guardian, but the act of killing Nathan just proved that tenfold. Christian thought of Rose like his little sister, and the trauma she had been put through shook him to the core. He was thankful that Dimitri had been able to apprehend the monster before Rose's pain became worse.

Once Dimitri's top half was covered again, the pair left the room. As they made their way in the direction of the reception, Dimitri finished explaining what had happened. How Rose had collapsed not two minutes after Nathan's death, how Dimitri had managed to get them outside, how he had, with a stroke of luck, located his Duster – and phone – along the way, calling for help as soon as possible.

Both Dimitri and Christian only hoped that it wasn't too late – that their haste had gotten Rose back to Court in time, and the doctors – along with Lissa – would be able to save her.

"Guardian Hathaway – which room?" Dimitri asked once they reached the desk at reception. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like a lifetime – he wasn't sure if the doctors were still helping her.

"Uh let me see… 106 but I think she's still being looked at," the young nurse informed him, recognising him as she saw him. "The Queen is with her."

Dimitri nodded his thanks, before turning and heading off in search of the aforementioned room, with Christian hot on his tail.

"Hey, Dimitri – do you want me to come with you?"

"Up to you."

Christian had come to know Dimitri well enough over the years that he knew company was the last thing he wanted right now – his mind was completely preoccupied with thoughts and worries of Rose, and he needed to be alone to process these. With a quick goodbye and request to let him know what happens, Christian turned and made his way to the waiting room, leaving Dimitri to continue his search for Rose alone.

With impeccable timing, the moment Dimitri found room 106, the small number of doctors working on Rose exited the room, with Lissa following closely behind. Dimitri's heart raced, and he instantly reached towards the Queen, eager to know what was going on.

"Vasilisa – is she okay?" he asked, grasping her gently by the shoulders.

"Yes, she's fine," Lissa told him, a smile on her face.

Dimitri felt a flood of relief sweep through him at the news that Rose was fine. Each time Rose was admitted to hospital, Dimitri's heart felt weaker and weaker – he didn't know how much more worry he could take. He loved Rose unconditionally, and each time Rose was injured it felt like his own heart was breaking into pieces.

"She suffered some trauma to her head, but no lasting damage – no brain injury or anything like that," Lissa explained further. "The doctors fixed any external injuries, and I was able to repair her ribs – a couple of them were fractured, but luckily they didn't pierce her lungs.

Uncharacteristically, Dimitri pulled the Queen into a hug, his feelings of gratitude and thankfulness overwhelming him.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I'm glad she's okay."

"Is she awake?" he asked once the pair stepped back from their embrace.

"Not yet," Lissa replied, before explaining that he was free to wait at her bedside, knowing that Dimitri wouldn't move more than a foot away from Rose until she woke up. "I'm quite tired, I'm going to get Christian to take me home – will you let us know when she wakes up?"

"Of course," Dimitri said before giving her his thanks once more and bidding their goodbyes.

* * *

Upon entering the room, Dimitri felt a wave of guilt rush over him as he saw Rose lying unconscious on the bed in the middle of the room. Although the doctors and Lissa had done an excellent job at patching her up, he hated seeing her like this, and couldn't help but feel as though, again, this was his own fault. Rose's happiness and good health was everything to him, and seeing her hurt and injured did nothing but break his heart.

Pulling up the chair beside her bedside, Dimitri sat and took one of her hands in his, thankful that she already felt warmer than she had when he held her in the car. Bringing her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on her skin, Dimitri let the tears fall. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, and knowing he was alone, he didn't mind letting his emotions get the better of him.

Rose was okay.

She was going to be okay.

Dimitri vowed, then, that this would be the last time Rose lay in a hospital bed, unconscious after nearly succumbing to death. He wouldn't allow that to happen again, not if he could help it. Her life was the most valuable thing, and he _was_ going to protect it.

* * *

A few hours passed, yet Rose still lay unconscious, with Dimitri all the while holding her hand. He hadn't managed to take his eyes off of her, unable to do anything but stare at her beauty. With help from Lissa's spirit, any bruising Rose suffered was reduced quite significantly, and she looked as though she had only settled down for a nap. Dimitri was awestruck whenever he looked at her, and this moment was no different. He couldn't quite believe that someone as pure, gorgeous, albeit wild as Rose would settle for someone like him.

As Dimitri sat beside Rose, willing her to wake up, he heard a quick rasp on the door, before it opened to reveal Abe. Tearing his eyes away, Dimitri looked up at Rose's father and greeted him with a nod, before turning his attention back to Rose.

"I thought you'd want to be alone for a while before I came up," Abe explained, moving to the other side of Rose's bed and pulling up the second chair. "How is she?"

"Vasilisa said she's going to be fine."

"Good. I knew she would be," Abe replied sincerely. If he knew anything about his daughter, it was that she was extremely strong-willed. Having already survived death multiple times, Abe had no doubt that Rose would pull through again – it wasn't her time, and it wouldn't be for a good many years to come. "Listen, Son – thank you for looking after her."

Dimitri sighed heavily, looking up at Abe with a sadness in his eye.

"Don't thank me, Abe. It's my fault she's in this mess in the first place," he confessed guiltily, looking back down to the woman lying between them.

"No –"

"If I hadn't agreed to her plan, or sent the rest of you away, we would be fine now. I didn't protect her – again."

Dimitri could almost hear the rolling of Abe's eyes.

"Shut it, Belikov," he scoffed. "You did everything you could."

It didn't seem that way to Dimitri, and he couldn't understand why Rose's father was showing such kindness – not when he had let him down once more.

"I can't imagine anyone better for my daughter," Abe continued when Dimitri didn't say anything further.

Dimitri looked up at the man with a raised eyebrow, his confusion growing at each compliment dealt to him.

"I mean, I definitely didn't like you to begin with, and I sure as hell hated your guts when the bastard abducted her, but you've proven your love for her time and time again. I can see the love in your eyes – you're exactly who she needs."

A smile crept on to Dimitri's face at Abe's words.

"I hope you'll be around for a long time."

"Well, actually –"

"Comrade?"

A hoarse voice murmured from between the two men, causing Dimitri to pause mid-sentence and drawing both of their attentions down to the woman lying in the bed. With bleary eyes, Rose looked around at her surroundings, clearly confused and disorientated.

"Dimitri?" she asked again when her eyes settled on her boyfriend, seeking his comfort in amongst her wariness.

"I'm here," he comforted, squeezing her hand gently. A grin spread across his face as he stared down at her, thankful that she had now woken up.

When Rose brought her attention to her father, his grin grew almost as wide as Dimitri's. Leaning forward, he planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Hi, Kizim."

"Baba?"

"I'm glad you're okay, Kiz," he said, squeezing Rose's other hand. "I'll come back to see you in a bit, I'm sure you two need to be alone. I'll let the nurse know you're awake as well."

Content that she was okay now that she was awake, Abe wanted to give the two lovers some needed time together – as much as he wanted to stay close to his only child. With a warm smile, he left the room, leaving Rose and Dimitri on their own. Now slightly more alert, Rose tried sitting up. Dimitri leant forward and helped to pull her up, propping her pillows behind her to ensure her comfort.

"Where are we?" Rose asked once she was sat. The last thing she remembered was falling into Dimitri's arms – she thought for sure that she was dead. Yet, here she was, waking up once again – defying the odds.

"Back at Court, thankfully," Dimitri informed her.

"What happened?"

"You took a lot of damage to the head – you collapsed, and lost a fair bit of blood," he sighed, stroking the back of her warm hand with his thumb. The small act of love made Rose feel safe and comforted – she always did with Dimitri around. "Luckily, we got back here in time for the doctors to help you. Lissa helped too."

"Lissa?"

Dimitri nodded.

"Shit – Nathan, we – we killed him?" Rose's eyes widened, and a sudden wave of panic shot through her.

"Yes," Dimitri reassured, gently calming her by tracing patterns on the skin of her arm. He hated to see her so worked up. "He's dead."

"So it's over now?" Rose asked, desperate for her life to return back to normal. "All of it?"

"Yes, it's over, Roza," Dimitri promised, a look of love and adoration clear on his features. "You're safe now."

_The End._


	38. Chapter 38

Epilogue

**Third Person POV –** _3 months later._

A faint rustling behind her had Rose awake in an instant and instinctively tensing in fear. She gripped the soft duvet tightly in her fists, bracing herself, until she was met with the familiar sound of Dimitri mumbling to himself in his native language as he went about his morning. Immediately, her brief fear and anxiety diminished, replaced with contentment and safety once her mind and body recalibrated.

Three months on from Nathan's death, it wasn't often that Rose woke up frightened. Only on the rare occasion did it take a minute to register where she was, and she would wake in a panic, anticipating his cold touch.

But she was home, she wasn't _there._ They had killed him, and she was safe.

With a small stretch, she rolled over in the bed, facing towards the centre of the bedroom. Having just dressed himself and tied his dark hair back to the nape of his neck, Dimitri turned back towards the love of his life laying content in their bed. A wide grin crept onto his face, a natural instinct whenever faced with Rose's beauty. He thought Rose never looked more beautiful than when she had just woken up, her thick hair all tousled across the pillows and eyes sparkling from their rest - although Rose would adamantly disagree.

"Good morning Roza," Dimitri greeted, walking over to the bed and squatting down so the pair were face to face.

"Morning, Comrade," Rose replied sleepily, before their lips met in a gentle kiss. "Why are you dressed? Where are you going?"

"Christian asked if I'd help him train a new group of Moroi today," he explained, reaching out and brushing her wild hair away from her face.

Despite everything that had happened over the recent months, the campaign for Moroi to fight alongside their guardians had managed to continue, ultimately resulting in favour of the Moroi using their magic if they wish to do so. This meant that wave after wave of new Moroi needed to be trained in using offensive and defensive magic, and with Christian leading the training, Dimitri found himself working more often than usual.

Frowning deeply, Rose huffed.

"But it's our day off!"

"I know Roza, I'm sorry," Dimitri apologised, knowing Rose valued their time off together immensely. But today was no normal day, and Dimitri had a lot of work to do to prepare. "I'll see you later though, and it'll be worth it, I promise."

"What will?" Rose asked, growing confused at Dimitri's words. Honestly, there was no doubting that Dimitri and Yeva were related, considering how cryptic he could be sometimes.

Ignoring her questions, Dimitri leant back on his heels and pushed himself to stand at full height, turning to look for his shoes.

"What are you going to do today?" He asked nonchalantly, hoping to distract Rose from the disappointment of their lost day off.

"Hmm, not sure," Rose sighed, propping herself up in the bed and leaning back against the pillows. A cheeky grin found its way onto her face. "I had planned to spend the day in bed with you, but…" she added, seductively.

Dimitri chuckled and rolled his eyes, knowing Rose was only trying to entice him back into bed so that he wouldn't leave for the day. Finding his shoes, he slipped them on before grabbing his leather duster off the hook on the wall.

"I might go to the gym and work out later, I suppose," Rose said, realising her attempts were a lost cause.

"That's good. You should go earlier rather than later though, I remember seeing that the gym is booked for something later."

"Annoying," Rose scoffed. "I'll go soon then. I'll see if Adrian wants to hang out after. When will you be home?" She asked, grabbing her phone and composing a message to Adrian. She hadn't seen her friend in a while now, and they were definitely long overdue a catch up.

"Not sure, I'll let you know, though," Dimitri shrugged, tugging his duster onto his shoulders. His phone buzzed from on top of his bedside table, and he swiftly picked it up before Rose saw who it was. Thankfully, she was still preoccupied with her own phone.

"I should go. I'll see you later, Roza."

With a gentle kiss to the top of her head, Dimitri said goodbye before making his way out of the apartment, leaving Rose to get ready for her own day.

* * *

"So, are you ready Son?"

"I've been ready for a long time, Abe. I can't wait any longer."

Dimitri felt slightly sick as he sat across from Abe, on what would possibly the most important day of his life so far. Unable to sit still, Dimitri's leg bounced autonomously below the table. The hustle and bustle of the café around the two men did nothing but add to the headache caused by the intense nerves he felt. For weeks he had been quietly confident, yet when the day finally came, he felt so anxious he could burst.

"I'm surprised you've waited this long, actually. When you spoke to me a few weeks ago I thought you'd ask her there and then," Abe joked with a smirk, taking a sip of his coffee. Dimitri had barely touched his own drink, nervously stirring the hot liquid over and over.

Ever the gentleman, Dimitri had sought Abe's permission for his daughter's hand. He had known for a long time now that he wanted to, needed to, marry Rose – his life wouldn't quite be complete until he was able to call her his wife. Dimitri had started to broach the subject with Abe months back, when Rose was in the hospital, but this conversation was hastily cut short when Rose came back into consciousness. Not one month later, on a day when Rose was working, he had asked to meet Abe in the hopes of continuing their discussion. Having prepared almost an entire speech to convince Abe for his blessing, Dimitri was shocked when he barely made it through the first sentence before receiving a 'yes'.

Dimitri chuckled. "I wanted to make sure it was perfect. She deserves the best."

"That she does," Abe agreed. "So, tonight?"

"Yes. I'm meeting Christian in a bit to set up," he explained, his leg still shaking and drink still untouched. Abe could see that the young man was almost at his wits end – it was almost laughable, how nervous he was. The older man knew that his nerves were unnecessary, however. If he was certain of anything in his life, it was that the love his daughter held for Dimitri Belikov was blinding. It was unrivalled by anything. They had faced test after test, been through so much in a few short years, and yet their love remained strong.

"Did you pick out the ring?" He asked.

"Not yet. I thought Rose might like to pick out her own."

Dimitri had spent a few disastrous evenings researching ring after ring, looking through brochure after brochure, but he couldn't find anything that seemed 'right'. It seemed ridiculous – it was just a ring, after all - but when it came to Rose, he felt that she deserved the world, and nothing matched that expectation. He had even consulted Christian, thinking perhaps that he could help him on his endeavour, but this was unsurprisingly just as disastrous as looking on his own.

"Well, actually, I had an idea," Abe stated, leaning forward in his chair slightly. "You don't have to agree, it was just a thought."

Abe reached into a deep pocket of his not uncharacteristically vibrant coat jacket, before pulling out a delicate velvet box and placing it in front of Dimitri. Curiously, Dimitri raised an eyebrow, reaching out and inspecting the artefact. Opening it slowly, his eyes widened as he saw what was inside.

A modest sized, square, halo diamond set amongst smaller diamonds and intricate white gold patterning stared back at him. The most perfect ring he'd ever seen – it almost had Rose's name written all over it.

Dimitri was speechless.

"I bought this ring for Janine, many years ago. I never got around to giving it to her before things ended between us," Abe explained. "Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if I had mustered up the courage to propose… If you want, you can have it for Rose."

Dimitri looked up at the man in front of him, silently shocked by the kindness being offered. "Abe, it's gorgeous," Dimitri said. "I think she'll love it, thank you."

"It's nothing, don't mention it," Abe shrugged.

"Don't mention it?" Dimitri chuckled. "This is a kindness I don't deserve."

* * *

Having just finished her workout at the gym, Rose regained her breath and took a swig from her water bottle as she sat idly waiting on a bench for Adrian. With Dimitri's revelation that the gym would be occupied later, Rose had left to complete her work out sooner rather than later, and planned to spend the rest of the day catching up with Adrian.

Ten minutes later, Rose was starting to grow impatient, when Adrian finally showed up.

"You're late," Rose scowled, standing up from her seat on the bench. Adrian grinned and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug.

"Had to make sure I looked good for you, Little Dhampir," he chuckled. "Although I'm not sure why it took me so long this time, it doesn't take much for me to look so drop dead gorgeous these days."

Rose scoffed and rolled her eyes, pushing him away with a chuckle. Adrian winked before draping a friendly arm around her shoulders, leading her down the road towards a small coffee shop.

"Ugh, Adrian why are we here?" Rose asked once they arrived at their destination, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "You know I prefer the one near my apartment."

"Yes, but I like this one better," Adrian replied, not to mention he had no idea whether Belikov and Mazur were still there…

Rose huffed in mock protest, but chose a table for them nevertheless, as Adrian ordered at the counter. Returning with their drinks, he offered her a warm smile.

"So Little Dhampir, how are you doing?" He asked, placing Rose's hot chocolate in front of her. She immediately grabbed her spoon, and began tackling the mound of whipped cream on top without hesitation.

"Doing good," she managed to say between spoonfuls. "I'm a bit sweaty from my workout but that's to be expected. I should have brought a change of clothes with me."

In a rare moment of seriousness, Adrian glared at her over his own cup as he took a sip. "You know what I mean. How are you _doing_?"

Rose sighed as she finished off the last of her cream. She knew that Adrian worried about her, and she would be forever thankful for his help over the previous months, but she also felt bad for his concern. "I'm honestly fine," she stated. "Actually, I'm _really_ good. I'm less anxious now, I've noticed."

"That's good."

"I mean, I still wake up disoriented sometimes. It's like my mind needs a minute to catch up, and I think I'm back with – with Nathan," she explained, involuntarily shuddering slightly at the memory. "But it doesn't happen very often now, and when it does it doesn't take as long before I realise where I am and the panic goes away."

"Well, I'm glad you're getting better, Rose," Adrian said cheerfully. "You know I'm always here for you, though."

"Of course I do. You proved that when I was missing."

Content that Rose was okay, Adrian smiled, before turning the conversation to lighter matters.

"So, how're things with you and Belikov now?" He asked.

"Good. There's no secrets anymore. After everything that happened, we're making sure to talk to each other," Rose answered, sipping on her drink. She furrowed her brows before continuing, "although he has been a bit strange this week."

"Strange?"

"Mhm," she nodded. "He's been coming home a bit later than usual, spending a lot more time with Christian. I think they're up to something but he won't tell me what."

Adrian chuckled inwardly. "It's probably just because of the new law. You know how many Moroi have signed up for training."

"Hmm, I suppose."

The pair sat chatting for a while, catching up on their lives over the last couple of weeks. Rose enjoyed the time to just relax and spend time with a friend, without dwelling on the past or thinking about her many tasks and responsibilities she had piling up as Lissa's head Guardian – and believe her, there were _a lot._

Both Adrian and Rose had just finished their drinks, with Rose contemplating whether she wanted a donut, when in the corner of her eye she noticed a group of young Moroi women staring at her from a table across the room. With her acute hearing, there was no doubt that they were whispering about her. Although this had become the normal for Rose, it still bothered her nonetheless, and she resented the rumours and gossip spread about her daily.

That she had been missing was no secret, and it was still a topic of heated conversation in every corner of Court. The situation had never been publically discussed, of course – why would it? But this didn't stop the train of rumours floating around. Some people guessed the truth, although this was a limited group – the majority of gossip was false. The most ridiculous rumour Rose had heard in the last couple of months being that she and Christian had started an affair, before accidentally falling pregnant. The Queen Vasilisa had apparently banished her from Court, where she had an abortion before crawling back and begging for forgiveness!

Noticing Rose's despondent glare, Adrian followed her eye line until he saw what, or who, she was staring at. He sighed, knowing how much the rumours could affect his friend. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

While Rose would usually not give in to the gossip and the staring, today she didn't want to deal with it. With a nod of agreement, the pair stood up and headed towards the door, both taking a moment to display their middle fingers towards the offending group, and with a chuckle, they left.

* * *

Adrian and Rose preoccupied themselves for the rest of the day, stopping by to see Lissa for a short while until Rose needed to head home. She was half way home when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Stopping in her tracks, she pulled it out and saw that it was a text from Dimitri:

_I'm done with Christian for the day. Did you want to meet me at the gym and spar for a bit? Usual studio. I'll make up for missing our day off x_

Rose sighed, her body already starting to feel achy from her own workout earlier that morning. She texted back quickly:

_I'll meet you back at home, Comrade. Isn't the gym booked anyways? x_

_It's not anymore, I'm here now. Please, Roza? x, _came his reply not two seconds later.

Rose sighed again, her muscles killed and she felt tired, but she loved sparring with Dimitri, and she _did_ want to spend time with him after all…

Sending a quick text agreeing to meet him at the gym, Rose turned on her heels and started in the direction of the gym. She already knew that she wasn't going to win any matches this evening – how unfair of Dimitri to suggest sparring when he knew for a fact she'd already worked out not long ago. She chuckled to herself as she walked, thinking that maybe that had been Dimitri's plan all along – it _had _been a while since Dimitri had beat her in a sparring session.

* * *

When Rose finally reached the gym, she was met with a sign on the door that hadn't been there earlier that morning – _Closed for a private function._

But Dimitri just said he was here, hadn't he? Confused, Rose huffed and pulled out her phone, sending a quick text to Dimitri to check he was actually there. Her annoyance only grew when she didn't receive a reply. If this was some sort of joke, it was very odd and not very funny – although she did find occasionally that Dimitri had a very strange sense of humour. After a minute or so, she sighed and put her phone away. She could just go in and see if he was there – she could always just apologise if she interrupted whatever function was taking place anyway.

Pushing through the door, she was met with complete silence. There was no sign of anybody in the building whatsoever. Her brows furrowed as she made her way through the gym, her confusion growing. Bypassing the main room with the weights and equipment, Rose headed to one of the smaller studios that she and Dimitri often trained in during their days off.

When she reached the studio, she hesitantly opened the door and walked in, instantly speechless by what she found before her. Unable to move in surprise, she took in the sight before her.

The room was lit by a warm glow from hundreds of candles filling the room. White and red flower petals littered the floor, and soft music echoed in the background. In the middle of the space stood a tall, handsome man, his long, dark hair tied back by his neck and wearing a suit that did nothing to hide his muscular frame.

Dimitri.

"Um, hello?" Rose managed to say, slowly edging closer to the centre of the room where the love of her life stood before her, his expression full of love and adoration.

"I couldn't find anywhere suitable to do this where we could be in private," Dimitri said, reaching out and twirling a strand of her hair around his fingers once she reached him. "I didn't want to just do it at home because that didn't quite seem grand enough."

Butterflies swarmed Rose's belly as she looked up into his dark, dazzling eyes. Her confusion had only increased tenfold when she entered the room.

"Find anywhere to do what? What's going on?" she asked.

With a wide grin, Dimitri took Rose's hand in his and bent down onto one knee before her, earning a shocked gasp escaping her lips as she looked down at him. Any nerves he had been feeling earlier had dissipated the moment she stepped in the room – this was exactly what he wanted, there were no need for nerves.

"Roza, I know you're not twenty yet but it's not long until you are and quite frankly I don't care," he began. "I almost lost you. If I'm honest I completely lost myself in that time and I didn't see the point in living in world where you weren't in it. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, protecting you, loving you, worshipping you."

Realisation hit Rose like a tonne of bricks, and she stepped back slightly in awe, causing Dimitri to raise his eyebrow.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed. "Dimitri, I'm in my workout gear!"

"So?"

"So you could have told me to wear something nice before you do this!"

Dimitri chuckled, before taking her hand in his once more.

"I think you look perfect," he stated, influencing Rose to scoff and cheekily roll her eyes. She opened her mouth to protest, but knowing her too well, Dimitri interrupted. "Will you just let me finish, please?"

Rose took a deep breath. This was the last thing she had expected to happen tonight. Nevertheless, she nodded and stepped closer.

"I've known for a long time that I want to be married to you. I want to spend my life proving to you how much I love you. I want to be able to call you my wife - Mrs Hathaway-Belikova. I swear, I was going to wait for a little bit longer - like I promised - but in the time that you were missing, I honestly thought I'd missed my chance. I wasn't sure you'd come back to me. I don't ever want to miss my chance again. So, Roza, will you please do me the honour of being my wife?"

His wife.

Mrs Belikova.

Rose had been adamant that she was too young, that she wanted to wait until she was older – far, far into her twenties – and yet, standing here now, nothing had ever felt more right. She loved Dimitri, and she wanted to marry him and be his wife. Not just boyfriend and girlfriend. Not just partners...

Husband and wife.

Like Dimitri, her months of torment had affected her greatly, and Dimitri had been on her mind the entire time. She felt as though she had disappointed him, that he wouldn't want her anymore, but the thing that scared her most was the possibility of never seeing him again – of not being able to express just _how much_ she loved him.

Making her decision, a wide grin spread over her face as tears began to settle behind her eyes. Slowly, she nodded.

Dimitri's own smile matched hers at her answer. "You'll marry me?"

"Yes."

Dimitri stood to full height, grabbing her tightly by the waist and crushed his lips to hers. With a soft giggle, Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back eagerly. Both of their hearts felt like they could burst, and their happiness soared.

He squeezed her tightly before breaking their embrace, kissing her gently on the top of her head. Reaching into his suit pocket, he brought out the velvet box given to him earlier by Abe. He opened it slowly and turned it towards Rose, who let out a gasp at what was, quite frankly, the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

"Is that –"

"For you, yes."

Rose could no longer hold back her tears and, silently, the little droplets fell down her cheeks.

"I take it you like it? I hope?" Dimitri asked, slightly worried that she wouldn't.

"Dimitri… I love it."

* * *

By the time the two of them had made it practically two steps into their apartment, the pair found their clothes strewn haphazardly across the floor, their hands eagerly wondering each other's bodies as their tongues danced together in a familiar embrace. Dimitri had Rose backed against the wall, one hand tangled in her hair while the other explored, grabbed, caressed any part of her he could find.

Rose couldn't help but squirm beneath his touch, relishing in the intense pleasure he brought her. It had taken a while for them to find a place in their relationship where they could be physical again, after everything that happened but, after that first time, there was no stopping them. With Dimitri, Rose felt safe. Everything he did was for her pleasure and any bad thoughts she may have had went swiftly out the window. He worshipped her – she wasn't some object who he claimed to 'love', yet left bruises and scars all across her body... All he left were kisses, and lingering jolts of passionate electricity as his fingers explored her skin.

Eventually they made it to the bedroom, and it wasn't long before Dimitri had his tongue buried between her folds, lapping expertly at her core. One hand clutching the sheets beneath her, the other gripping the back of his head, Rose was already so close and they had barely even begun.

"Fuck, Dimitri!" she cried out, as she edged closer and closer to orgasm.

Knowing exactly what she wanted, Dimitri pushed two fingers inside of her, stroking the sweet spot inside of her as his tongue continued its ministrations on her clit. Sending her over the edge, Rose lost all control, bucking her hips as the pleasure washed over her in wave after wave.

It wasn't enough, however – she _needed_ him, badly.

"Please, Dimitri…" she whimpered.

His desire matched hers, and he wanted nothing more than to be buried inside of her warmth as soon as possible; there was nothing in the world like it, no pleasure rivalled it. Being with Rose felt like coming home.

Knowing what she wanted, Dimitri made his way back up the bed, wasting no time in attaching their lips once more, his length pressed eagerly against her entrance. In a smooth motion, he entered her slowly until she was filled to the hilt. With a groan, Dimitri took a moment to relish in the feel of his Roza.

"Ебать, Roza," he grunted. "You're amazing."

As he started moving, Rose moaned beneath him, clutching tightly at his back as her legs locked around his waist. Dimitri was in no rush, however, wanting to draw out their pleasure for as long as possible. He planned to spend hour after hour driving his Fiancée wild…

* * *

"I can't believe we're getting married, it's crazy," Rose chuckled, admiring her sparkling ring as she lay tangled in Dimitri's arms. "Actually, I can't believe you proposed to me in the gym!"

"Are you disappointed?" Dimitri asked, suddenly concerned that Rose didn't like it.

Rose chuckled, "no, it's just not what I imagined you'd do. It was perfect."

Any concern Dimitri had faded away, replaced with utter contentment – the woman of his dreams, lying in his embrace, wearing his ring and set to be his wife. He couldn't think of anything more perfect.

"I thought you wouldn't want a huge public affair," he explained, gently playing with the locks of Rose's hair splayed across his chest. "I tried to think of somewhere that meant a lot to us. We've spent a lot of time in gyms during our relationship."

"That we have," Rose agreed. "Did Christian help you with the decoration?"

"Of course."

"And let me guess, they all knew your plan?"

Rose would bet anything that Lissa knew, considering Christian played his part in the whole thing. And she was willing to bet that Adrian did as well, and therefore Eddie, too. Baba obviously knew, seeing as she knew that Dimitri, ever the traditionalist, would have sought his permission beforehand.

"Mhmm."

"Dammit. I hate not having the bond anymore!" she exclaimed.

Dimitri chuckled to himself. "It would have ruined the surprise."

"I suppose," Rose settled, pushing herself up off the bed slightly to better see her Fiancé. "I'm sad we missed our day off though," she added with a mock pout.

"Well actually, you're not going back to work for another two weeks. I cleared it with Vasilisa," Dimitri revealed, a smirk settling on his face at Rose's confusion.

"What do you mean?"

His smirk widened into a grin, and he too sat up further in their bed. Leaning across, he opened the drawer next to his bedside and began rummaging around. When he found what he was looking for, he handed it over to Rose, instructing her to open the envelope.

"These arrived a few days ago," he explained. "Babushka sent them. I think she knew what I had planned."

As Rose pulled out the contents of the envelope, her face lit up, causing Dimitri's heart to swell at the sight of her clear happiness.

Plane tickets to Russia.

"We're going to Russia again?!" Rose exclaimed, practically bouncing in the bed from her excitement.

Dimitri nodded, and Rose wasted no time in attaching her lips to his, showing her appreciation with soft kisses. When they pulled away, a worried look crept its way onto Rose's face.

"Do you think they'll be happy that we're engaged?" she asked. Rose undoubtedly adored the Belikovas, and she only hoped that they would accept her into their family. Of course, this worry was unwarranted, considering how much they doted over her each time she had visited.

"Of course they will. They'll be over the moon," Dimitri attempted to dispel her concerns. "Just like I am."

"I am too," Rose stated. And she really was. In just a few short months, her entire life had been turned upside down – she had been broken, to the point that she didn't think she could come back from it and yet, right now, she could honestly say that she had never felt happier.

"I love you, Comrade."

"I love you more, Roza."

The End.


End file.
